TEUTOTSM 
LEGENDS 


ON  I. 


W.G  SAWYER 


REESE  LIBRARY 

OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 

Class 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

IN 

THE  NIBELUNGEN  LIED  AND 
THE  NIBELUNGEN  RING 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 


IN 


THE  NIBELUNGEN  LIED 

AND 

THE  NIBELUNGEN  RING 


BY 

W.  C.  SAWYER,  PH.D. 

PROFESSOR    OF    THE    GERMAN    LANGUAGE    AND    LECTURER    ON    TEUTONIC 
MYTHOLOGY    IN    THE    UNIVERSITY    OF    THE    PACIFIC 


WITH    AN   INTRODUCTORY   ESSAY 

BY   PROFESSOR   FRITZ   SCHULTZE,   PH.D. 

OF    DRESDEN,    GERMANY 


PHILADELPHIA     AND     LONDON 
J.     B.    LIPPINCOTT    COMPANY 

1904 


'•"  """IT"-   -"-C-x 
OF  TH£ 

UNIVERSITY  J 


Copyright,    Nineteen 
Hundred      and      Four 

by 
J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY 

Published    March,  1904 


Electrotyped  and  Printed  by 
J.  B.  Lippincott  Company,  Philadelphia,  U.  S.  A. 


PREFACE 

PP 

RICHARD  WAGNER'S  operas,  based 
chiefly  on  the  legends  of  Northern 
Europe,  are  discovering  to  our  English-speaking 
people  how  little  they  know  of  the  mythology 
of  the  race  from  which  they  are  descended. 
Not  only  the  lovers  of  music,  but  the  students 
of  folklore  and  of  general  literature,  are  thus 
stirred  to  the  pursuit  of  the  old  myths  which  so 
illustrate  the  peculiarities  of  our  race  and  the 
history  of  our  moral  development.  Accord- 
ingly, we  begin  to  feel  that  we  are  no  more  at 
liberty  in  our  day  to  be  ignorant  of  Siegfried 
and  Parsifal  than  of  Hercules  and  the  divine 
Achilles.  Moreover,  it  is  very  natural  that  in 
the  era  of  athletics  in  education  we  should  take 
increased  interest  in  the  old  hero  myths  and  epic 
songs,  which  glorify  physical  strength  and  moral 
courage. 

Familiarity  with  the  Teutonic  languages,  even 
in  their  oldest  forms,  may  be  necessary  to  the 
most  complete  knowledge  of  the  myths  brought 
from  the  Orient  to  the  shores  of  the  Baltic ;  yet 
even  our  children  may  gain  an  approximate 

5 


154914 


PREFACE 

notion  of  the  character  and  religious  beliefs  of 
the  ancestors  of  Hengist  and  Horsa  from  sim- 
ple versions  of  ancient  tales. 

In  the  present  volume  it  has  been  the  pur- 
pose to  combine  in  suitable  form  such  helps  as 
are  needful  for  the  English-speaking  student  in 
the  study  of  the  Nibelung  legends,  which  have 
Siegfried  for  their  central  figure.  These  are 
found  in  their  earlier  written  forms  in  the  Eddas 
and  the  Sagas,  as  happily  preserved  for  us  in 
Iceland.  They  appear  again  in  changed  forms  in 
the  great  mediaeval  epic,  the  Nibelungen  Lied,  and, 
in  our  own  day,  notably  in  Wagner's  majestic 
operas  of  the  Nibelungen  Ring.  We  invite  first  at- 
tention to  these  legends  as  they  appear  in  the  epic, 
which  is  more  readable  than  the  Icelandic  ver- 
sions and  more  essential  to  a  literary  education. 

As  the  best  text  for  our  purpose  we  have 
adopted  and  translated  Dr.  Wilhelm  Wagner's 
excellent  prose  version  of  the  Nibelungen  Lied, 
with  added  details  of  the  early  life  of  Siegfried, 
supplied  chiefly  from  the  old  folksong  of  The 
Horny  Siegfried. 

Wagner's  version  attempts  to  keep  the  origi- 
nal motives  of  action  in  inoffensive  form,  even 
in  the  quarrel  of  the  queens,  and  has  reproduced 


PREFACE 

the  essential  outlines  of  the  epic  with  least  de- 
tail where  the  detail  is  least  agreeable.  We 
have  thought  to  realize  still  further  adaptation 
to  the  tastes  and  morals  of  our  age  and  country 
in  occasionally  sacrificing  something  of  the 
literalness  or  of  the  fulness  of  the  version  with- 
out destroying  the  identity  of  the  narrative.  In 
Chriemhild's  Revenge  the  slaughters  that  appeared 
protracted  beyond  sufferance  have  been  much 
abridged,  and  the  Klage,  the  "  Lament,"  which  is 
of  inferior  merit  and  seldom  recognized  as  a 
part  of  the  Lied*  we  omit  altogether. 

In  the  "Retrospect,"  Dr.  Wagner  gives  a 
valuable  critique  upon  the  Nibelungen  Lied. 

Quaint  terms,  antiquated  usages,  and  many 
mythological  allusions  have  been  explained  in  foot- 
notes, so  as  to  satisfy  all  readily  anticipated  needs. 

The  Nibelung  legends  as  presented  by  Rich- 
ard Wagner  are  treated  in  the  "  Argument  and 
Sources  of  the  Nibelungen  Ring."  Brief  com- 
parison is  there  made  of  the  drama  with  the 
epic  and  the  sagas.  This  feature  of  the  book 
must  materially  assist  in  making  the  reader  fa- 
miliar with  the  varying  forms  of  the  myths  and 
of  the  proper  names  involved.  It  should  be  of 
service  to  all  students  of  German  legends, 

7 


PREFACE 

whether  they  aim  primarily  at  Wagner's  music 
or  at  German  literature. 

Music  cannot  be  fairly  criticised  or  fully 
appreciated  without  taking  into  account  its 
adaptation  to  the  thought  that  it  is  designed  to 
convey  or  impress.  The  operas  of  the  Ring 
are  the  translations  by  a  musical  genius  of  the 
crude  imaginings  of  an  infant  race  into  these 
harmonies  which  to  a  more  advanced  civilization 
express,  if  not  the  same  ideas,  at  least  the  better 
development  of  the  same  themes. 

An  Appendix  has  been  added  to  the  above, 
giving  a  partial  outline  of  the  Volsunga  Saga. 
The  subordinate  place  given  to  this  outline  is 
chosen  for  the  purpose  of  leaving  to  the  less 
serious  student  the  story  of  Siegfried  unburdened 
with  troublesome  conflicts  of  authority  arising 
from  the  introduction  of  another  form  of  the 
same  story. 

Professor  Fritz  Schultze,  the  eminent  German 
lecturer  and  author,  has  written  for  this  volume 
an  essay  upon  the  elevated  character  of  the 
German  works  that  make  us  acquainted  with 
the  gods  and  heroes  of  our  heathen  forefathers. 
Every  reader  will  find  this  essay  a  helpful  intro- 
duction to  our  principal  theme. 


CONTENTS 


PACK 

INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY  :     THE  LEGENDARY  IN  GERMAN 

LITERATURE. 
I.   The  Intellectual  Development  of  Germany 

as  shown  in  its  Literature     .          .  1  5 

II.   The  Moral  and  Religious  Value  of  the  old 

Germanic  Legends     .          .          .  29 

III.   Richard  Wagner  and  the  Germanic  Legends     40 

PROSE  VERSION  OF  THE  NIBELUNGEN  LIED. 

PART    I 
SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

I.  Siegfried's  Youth  .          .          .          .          .51 

II.  Siegfried's  Visit  to  the  Burgundian  Court    .     77 

III.  Chriemhild's  Rescue  from  the  Dragon        .    100 

IV.  The  Conquest  of  Brunhild  and  a  Double 

Wedding          .          .          .          .          .    1  1  6 
V.  Treachery  and  Murder  .          .          .          .146 

PART   II 

CRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

VI.   King  Etzel's  Wooing     .          .          .          .186 
VII.  The  Expedition  to  the  Hum  .         .         .   aoo 
9 


CONTENTS 

FACE 

VIII.   The   Burgundians   at   the   Court   of   King 

Etzel       ......  224 

IX.  Strife   between   the    Burgundians    and    the 

Huns      .          .          .          .          .          .  235 

X.   The  Hero  of  Bechelaren  and  his  Avengers  246 

XI.  The  Last  of  the  Burgundians .          .          .256 

RETROSPECT  OF  THE  NIBELUNGEN  LIED      .          .  264 

THE  ARGUMENT  AND  SOURCES    OF   WAGNER'S  MUSIC- 
DRAMA  THE  NIBELUNGEN  RING    .               .          .  277 
APPENDIX  :  Outline  of  the  Vohunga  Saga           .          .  309 
INDEX 321 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 


RICHARD  WAGNER         ....  frontispiece 

VALKYR      ........      68 

FAC-SIMILE  FROM  AN  OLD  MANUSCRIPT  OF  THE  LIED  .      96 
CHRIEMHILD  AND  HAGEN  AT  SIEGFRIED'S  BIER  .          .176 
DEATH  OF  CHRIEMHILD          .....   262 

WOT  AN'  s  FAREWELL  TO  BRUNNHILDE  .   286 


THE  LEGENDARY 

IN 

GERMAN   LITERATURE 

BY 

FRITZ  SCHULTZE,  PH.D. 

PROFESSOR    IN    THE    DRESDEN    ICHOOL    OF    TECHNOLOGY 


JiN  ESSAY  WRITTEN  EXPREtSLY  FOR 
THIS  VOLUME 


Translation  approved  by  the  Author 


•    ' 

^ 


INTRODUCTORY    ESSAY 


I 

THE  INTELLECTUAL  DEVELOPMENT  OF  GER- 
MANY AS  SHOWN  IN  ITS  LITERATURE 

ONE  must  be  familiar  with  the  historical 
and  literary  development  of  Germany  in 
order  to  comprehend  fully  the  unusual  interest 
which  the  educated  German  of  to-day  takes  in 
his  mediaeval  literature,  in  his  early  national 
legends,  in  his  ancient  history  and  its  sources. 
It  is  the  interest  of  reawakened  patriotism, 
which  suns,  strengthens,  and  nourishes  itself  on 
its  own  historical  past,  on  the  grand  destinies  of 
its  early  heroes  and  emperors,  on  their  adven- 
tures and  deeds,  striving  not  only  to  equal,  but 
to  surpass  them.  The  recurrence  to  this  past 
has  served  to  rouse  from  slumber  the  national 
consciousness.  And  now  this  national  con- 
sciousness holds  these  products  of  earlier  days 
of  glory  as  the  precious  tonic  for  the  spirit  of 
modern  times.  Present  greatness  stands  the 

15 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

firmer  if  it  rests  upon  the  foundation  of  a  great 
past. 

In  the  following  pages  we  shall  briefly  con- 
sider the  development  of  Germany  from  the 
stand-point  of  its  literature,  its  political  history 
being  noticed  only  when  intimately  connected 
with  its  intellectual  growth. 

Among  all  peoples,  the  Germans  alone  are 
distinguished  by  the  possession  of  two  great 
classical,  literary  periods :  the  first  in  the  Middle 
Ages,  in  the  twelfth  and  thirteenth  centuries; 
the  second  in  modern  times,  in  the  eighteenth 
and  nineteenth  centuries.  Both  nearly  coincide 
with  the  flood  tides  of  German  political  de- 
velopment, and  the  first,  regarded  from  the 
stand-point  of  the  Middle  Ages,  is,  in  its  intel- 
lectual characteristics,  not  inferior  to  the  second. 

The  sacred  poetry  of  that  first  classic  epoch 
we  will  not  here  consider,  but  confine  our  at- 
tention to  that  of  a  secular  character.  Knights 
were  its  representatives.  They  sang  either  their 
own  adventures  or  the  deeds  of  great  heroes  of 
olden  times ;  so  they  became  the  authors  of 
epics ;  or  they  gave  voice  to  their  own  emotions, 
and  sang  especially  of  love  and  knightly  devo- 
tion to  women  ;  then  they  became  lyric  poets. 


INTRODUCTORY   ESSAY 

These  compositions  were  seldom  read,  but 
almost  always  recited  in  circles  of  knights  and 
ladies,  or  sung  to  the  music  of  the  harp.  Thus 
was  the  impression  rendered  the  more  vivid  and 
permanent,  and  hence  the  secular  soon  gained 
ascendancy  over  the  sacred  poems. 

There  are  various  groups  of  legends  from 
which  the  poets  of  that  day  drew  their  material. 

The  first  is  the  Lower  Rhenish  or  Prankish. 
The  hero  is  Siegfried,  whose  home  is  Santen 
(Xanten)  on  the  lower  Rhine. 

The  second  group  is  the  Eurgundian.  Its  heroes 
are  the  three  brothers  and  kings,  Gunther,  Ger- 
not,  and  Giselher.  Their  mother  is  Ute ;  their 
sister,  Chriemhild ;  and  Gunther's  spouse  is 
Brunhild.  Among  their  retainers,  the  grim 
Hagen  and  the  valorous,  song-gifted  Volker  are 
conspicuous.  Their  residence  is  Worms. 

The  third  group  of  legends  is  the  Ostro-Gothic. 
Its  hero  is  Theodoric  of  Verona,  the  German 
Dietrich  von  Bern.  The  aged  Hildebrand,  of 
the  race  of  the  "  Wolflings,"  is  his  master-at- 
arms.  Distinguished  among  his  retainers  are 
Wolfhart,  Wolf  brand,  Wolfwin,  who  were  like- 
wise "  Wolflings,"  with  Sigestab  and  Helfrich. 

The  fourth  group  of  legends  relates  to  the 
2  17 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

Hunnish  king,  Attila,  or  Etzel.  His  first  spouse 
is  Helche ;  the  chief  among  his  vassals,  the 
Margrave  Riidiger  of  Bechelaren.  Allied  with 
him  are  the  Lotharingian  Duke  Hawart,  his 
vassal  Iring,  and  the  Thuringian  prince  Irn- 
fried.  Etzel's  residence  is  Etzelburg,  the  present 
Ofen. 

The  heroes  and  their  deeds  in  these  groups 
of  legends  are  in  part  historical.  They  are  as- 
sociated with  the  momentous  events  in  the 
period  of  the  Migration  of  the  Nations,  which 
stamped  themselves  ineradicably  upon  the  mem- 
ory of  the  Germanic  races,  and  gave,  from  an- 
cient times  until  the  present  day,  an  impulse  to 
the  poetic  spirit  of  the  German  people.  The 
three  Burgundian  kings,  the  Hunnish  king, 
Attila,  and  his  brother  Bleda,  the  destruction  of 
a  Burgundian  race  by  the  Huns,  the  brilliant 
figure  of  Dietrich  von  Bern,  all  belong  to  the 
province  of  history.  The  legends  did  not,  in- 
deed, confine  themselves  to  fact  in  dates  and 
exact  records  of  historical  events.  On  the  con- 
trary, they  frequently  linked  together  that  which 
had  no  previous  connection,  as  Attila  and  The- 
odoric. 

It  must  be  especially  remarked  that  the  most 

18 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY 

brilliant  of  all  the  heroes  of  German  legend, 
Siegfried,  is  not  a  historical  personage,  but 
mythological.  Siegfried  the  Volsung  is,  in  old 
German  mythology,  the  sun-god  and  the  god 
of  springtime.  Brunhild  is  the  Valkyr  whom 
the  chief  god,  Wotan,  buried  in  sleep  and  sur- 
rounded with  the  wall  of  fire,  the  Waberlohe. 
Thereupon  the  sun-god  released  the  virgin,  the 
earth  personified,  and  took  her  to  wife.  But  he 
deserted  her  to  devote  himself  to  a  new  love,  as 
the  sun  "  turns  from  his  first  love  of  budding 
spring  to  the  second  love  of  glowing  summer." 
This  old  pagan  myth,  drawn  directly  from  ob- 
servation of  the  forces  and  phenomena  of 
nature,  and  of  which  we  have  a  later  echo  in 
the  allegory  of  the  Sleeping  Beauty  wakened  by 
the  Prince,  has  preserved  its  more  primitive 
form  in  the  Eddas ;  and  Richard  Wagner,  in 
his  music-drama,  The  Nibelungen  Ring,  has  re- 
turned to  this  earlier  version  of  the  legend ; 
while  in  the  Nibelungen  Lied  the  old  heathen 
character  only  faintly,  yet  unquestionably 
enough,  may  be  discerned. 

It  is  in  the  Nibelungen  Lied  that  the  groups 
of  legends  have  been  combined  and  have  pro- 
duced that  powerful  epic  whose  author  and 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

origin  are  unknown  to  us,  that  epic  in  which  is 
manifest,  despite  the  mollifying  influence  of 
the  Christian  spirit  which  permeates  it,  the 
whole  tremendous  power  and  fearful  passion  of 
that  ancient  period  of  the  Migration  of  the 
Nations.  Justly  the  Nibelungen  Lied  has  been 
called  the  German  Iliad,  and  placed  beside 
the  Greek  epic  as  its  equal.  The  Lied,  as  we 
at  present  possess  it,  formed  in  the  Middle 
Ages  the  conclusion  to  a  long  series  of  popular 
versions  of  the  above-mentioned  groups  of 
legends ;  for  it  had  already  been  preceded  by  a 
profusion  of  ballads  extolling  these  heroes. 
Charlemagne  made  a  collection  of  such  poems. 
Unfortunately,  his  son,  Louis  the  Pious,  and  the 
Roman  Church  held  it  to  be  their  duty  to  de- 
stroy them,  so  that  only  a  few  fragments,  such 
as  the  Song  of  Hildebrand,  have  by  happy  acci- 
dent been  preserved  to  us. 

The  fifth  group  of  legends,  the  North  German 
or  Frisian,  also  called  the  Danish- Nor  man, 
furnished  the  material  for  the  Lay  of  Gudrun, 
which  stands  as  a  German  Odyssey  side  by  side 
with  the  Nibelungen  Lied.  In  fearful  tragic 
power  it  cannot,  it  is  true,  even  distantly  com- 
pare with  the  Nibelungen  Lied,  but  it  is  so  re- 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY 

markable  for  the  delicacy  of  its  conceptions, 
especially  in  the  portraiture  of  Gudrun,  the 
loving  maiden,  that  it  might  be  said  to  resemble 
the  gentle  moon  of  the  soft  spring  night,  while 
the  other  is  like  the  glowing  sun  of  a  burning 
summer  day.  It  depicts  the  seafaring  life  of  the 
ancient  Germans.  The  North  Sea,  its  coasts 
and  islands,  form  the  scene  of  its  incidents.  Its 
heroine  is  Hettel's  daughter,  Gudrun ;  its  heroes 
are  the  Frisian  king  Hettel  and  the  Stormarnian 
king  Horant,  with  his  vassal  and  uncle,  the  aged 
Wate. 

The  sixth  group  of  legends  is  the  Lombardian. 
Its  scene  is  the  Lake  of  Garda,  Southern  Tyrol, 
and  the  Orient.  King  Rother  (Rothari),  Ortnit, 
Hugdietrich,  and  his  son  Wolfdietrich,  are  its 
heroes.  It  is  the  youngest  group  of  all.  The 
lesser  epics  of  this  division,  as  well  as  some 
others  which  lie  partially  within  the  domain  of 
other  groups,  were  collected  in  the  so-called 
Lesser  Hero  Book  by  Caspar  von  der  Rhon,  in 
the  early  part  of  the  fifteenth  century. 

The  above  six  groups  comprise  the  really 
genuine  Germanic  legends  and  form  the  material 
for  the  so-called  popular  epics,  like  the  Nibelun- 
gen  Lied  and  Gudrun :  that  is,  those  epic  poetical 


21 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

works  whose  parts,  originating  little  by  little 
among  the  folk,  were  later  rearranged,  rather 
than  freshly  composed  from  the  beginning,  by 
some  poetically  girted  man.  In  distinction  from 
the  popular  epic  was  the  artistic  epic,  which 
invariably  owed  its  origin  to  a  definite,  known, 
and  acknowledged  single  poet.  This  artistic 
epic  poetry  did  not,  however,  content  itself  with 
those  groups  of  old  Germanic  legends,  but  made 
use  of  a  foreign  group,  which,  originally  Celtic, 
was  worked  up  by  the  poets  of  Northern  France 
of  that  period,  then  also,  with  the  greatest  lati- 
tude it  is  true,  re-rendered,  and,  above  all,  deeply 
impressed  upon  the  German  mind  by  German 
chivalric  poets. 

This  seventh  group  of  legends  is  the  Bretonic,  in 
which  pagan  and  Christian  elements  are  com- 
mingled in  wonderous  wise.  The  legends  of 
King  Arthur,  of  the  Holy  Grail,  of  Tristan,  of 
Parsifal,  of  Lancelot  of  the  Lake,  and  of  the 
magician  Merlin,  belong  to  this  series.  While 
Heinrich  von  Veldeke,  the  oldest  known  to  us 
among  the  German  knightly  epic  poets  of  this 
courtly  style,  reproduced  in  his  Eneit^  the  ancient 
story  of  the  Mneid,  Hartman  von  der  Aue  bor- 
rowed his  material  on  the  one  side  from  the 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY 

church  legends  (Gregor  vom  Stein,  Der  Arme 
Heinrich),  on  the  other  from  the  Arthur  myths 
(Iwein),  and  this  example  was  followed  by  Wirnt 
von  Gravenberg.  But  the  most  profound,  the 
most  mystically  religious,  and  at  the  same  time 
the  most  artistic  of  these  epic  poets,  was  Wolf- 
ram von  Eschenbach,  whose  most  noteworthy 
poem,  Parsifal,  availing  itself  of  the  Grail 
legend,  treats  of  the  loftiest  themes  which  en- 
gage the  human  soul, — the  rise  and  progress  of 
religious  doubt,  the  falling  from  grace,  and  the 
mysteries  of  salvation.  Their  outer  garb  and 
richly  colored  background  these  religious  prob- 
lems owe  to  mediaeval  chivalry,  whose  full  splen- 
dor, glittering  and  glowing,  is  displayed  to  us  in 
the  adventures  of  Parsifal  and  other  heroes. 

The  extraordinary  richness  and  variety  of  this 
mediaeval  poesy  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  it 
contains  the  greatest  conceivable  antitheses ;  that, 
side  by  side  with  the  mystically  religious  Wolf- 
ram, stands  the  worldly  Gottfried  von  Strassburg, 
wholly  devoted  to  poetically  idealized  sensuality, 
with  his  epic  of  Tristan  and  Isolde.  This  is 
the  song  of  songs  of  love's  in  tensest  passion,  in 
which  the  lovers,  forgetful  of  all  the  world, 

mindful  only  of  each  other,  regard  their  passion 

23 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

as  their  only  law,  and  hence  trample  under  foot 
every  divine  command  and  every  moral  obliga- 
tion. Never  was  such  a  subject  treated  more 
felicitously,  brilliantly,  sensuously,  never  with 
more  ardent  fire,  never  in  choicer  language, 
never,  while  displaying  the  most  naive  license, 
with  greater  refinement  of  delicacy. 

In  addition  to  these  greatest  of  the  epic  poets, 
it  is  unnecessary  to  name  the  numberless  lesser 
lights  of  that  period.  Mention  must,  however, 
be  made  of  the  fact  that  the  circle  of  lyric  poets 
of  that  day  was  no  less  rich  in  choice  spirits. 
At  the  head  of  these  stands  Walther  von  der 
Vogelweide.  The  greatness  of  Germany,  the 
honor  and  dignity  of  man,  springtime  and  love, 
religion  and  politics,  are  the  themes  of  his  song, 
whose  mellifluous  melody,  diversity  of  form,  and 
profundity  of  thought  are  not  attained  by  any 
other  minnesinger;  for  those  who  succeed  him 
represent  the  gradual  decline  of  German  poetry. 

The  poesy  of  chivalry  sinks  the  lower,  the 
more  chivalry  itself  descends  from  its  elevation 
after  the  fall  of  the  Hohenstaufen  dynasty, 
during  the  period  of  the  interregnum  and  the 
inanity  of  the  Hapsburg  epoch.  But  while 
robber  knighthood  and  brutality  take  possession 


INTRODUCTORY   ESSAY 

of  the  castles,  the  towns  and  citizens  make 
progress  towards  freedom  and  culture,  and  now 
it  is  the  citizen  meistersingers  who,  following  at 
first  the  footsteps  of  chivalric  poetry,  begin  to 
cultivate  the  art  of  verse.  The  earliest  among 
these  begin  in  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  cen- 
turies with  vigorous  and  natural  tones.  But 
soon  the  art  of  poetry  becomes  a  trade  among 
them  ;  its  substance,  of  secondary  interest ;  the 
artificial,  external  form,  the  first  consideration ; 
and  so  in  Germany  the  spirit  of  true  poetry  is 
lost  to  the  burgher  class  also ;  and  for  centuries 
it  rings  earnest,  true,  and  warm  only  in  the 
popular  ballad,  as  it  breaks,  spontaneously  and 
without  affectation,  from  the  lips  of  peasantry 
and  youth. 

That  the  poets  of  the  time  of  the  Reforma- 
tion are  chiefly  imbued  with  the  religious,  or 
polemic,  or  satyrical-didactic  spirit  is  a  matter 
of  course.  The  chief  of  these  poets,  Hans 
Sachs  of  Nuremburg,  exhibits  in  his  number- 
less works  all  these  elements  combined. 

During  the  horrors  of  the  Thirty  Years'  War, 
and  in  that  fearful  period  of  confusion  which 
followed,  German  literature  sinks  to  its  lowest 
wane,  despite  the  rise  of  numerous  learned 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

poetical  societies.  Its  speedy  revival  in  the 
eighteenth  century  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  verita- 
ble psychological  miracle  in  national  life ;  for 
though  the  year  1 700  marks  the  lowest  point  of 
decline,  yet  the  year  1800  is  signalized  by  the 
attainment  of  the  whole  German  literature  to 
the  pinnacle  of  its  greatest  fame,  and  stars  of 
the  first  magnitude  like  Klopstock,  Wieland, 
Lessing,  Herder,  Schiller,  Goethe,  Kant,  Fichte, 
Schelling,  Hegel,  illumine  all  at  once  the  hith- 
erto sombre  arch  of  heaven.  With  this  phe- 
nomenon, a  grand  development  in  music  and 
the  other  arts  goes  hand  in  hand,  and  science 
makes  progress  in  a  manner  previously  unknown. 
Of  supreme  importance  are  the  following 
facts.  The  Romantic  School  in  Germany, 
about  the  year  1800,  by  excellent  translations 
and  reproductions,  Germanized  for  their  coun- 
trymen the  chief  productions  of  the  literatures 
of  all  peoples  of  the  earth  and  of  all  ages,  and 
thus  enlarged  German  literature  to  a  world 
literature, — namely,  to  a  literature  which,  in  its 
own  language,  includes  all  the  principal  works 
of  all  literatures  so  perfectly  that  Homer,  or 
Shakespeare,  or  Dante,  or  Calderon,  for  ex- 
ample, become  German  poets,  and  their  princi- 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY 

pal  ideas  permeate  the  minds  of  the  German 
people.  Also,  by  unspeakably  diligent  re- 
search, the  whole  German  mediaeval  classic  lit- 
erature, almost  utterly  forgotten  in  the  period 
of  its  decline,  was  again  brought  to  light,  and 
flowed  anew  in  its  fructifying  power  into  the 
spirit  of  the  German  people.  At  the  same  time 
the  science  of  history  reopened  the  German 
mediaeval  historical  sources,  almost  lost  to  mem- 
ory in  the  time  of  depression,  and  recorded 
them  in  the  great  compilation,  Monumenta  Ger- 
mani*  Historica.  Upon  this  authority  German 
history  was  now  entirely  revised,  and  the  veiled 
past  stood  again  revealed  in  the  clear  light  of 
the  present.  Thus  it  was  made  plain  that 
before  their  time  of  hopeless  depression  and 
humiliation  the  German  people  had  enjoyed 
periods  of  the  greatest  brilliancy  and  a  position 
of  world-wide  dominion. 

So,  in  all  silence,  this  people  became,  through 
its  literature,  imbued  with  a  new  spirit.  How 
was  it  then  possible  that  it  should  not  experi- 
ence the  burning  desire  again  to  acquire  for 
itself  an  outward  position  which  should  corre- 
spond to  this  inward  spirit?  Powerfully  the 
flame  of  patriotism  again  burst  forth.  To  be- 
ar 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

come  one  was  the  wish  which  for  a  century  had 
ever  more  intensely  engrossed  the  German  heart ; 
and,  lo,  finally  there  arose  the  external  circum- 
stances and  the  leaders,  and,  of  necessity,  the 
new  empire,  long  inwardly  prefigured,  rapidly 
took  form  and  substance  before  the  eyes  of  the 
astonished  world. 


II 


THE  MORAL  AND  RELIGIOUS  VALUE  OF  THE 
OLD  GERMANIC  LEGENDS 

DEAR  to  the  heart  of  the  German  is  the 
whole  mediaeval  literature  and  the  an- 
cient national  Germanic  legends ;  yet  it  must 
not  be  overlooked  that  this  interest  is  deepened 
by  the  extremely  high  value  of  a  purely  human 
character  possessed  by  these  principal  literary 
works  of  the  Middle  Ages ;  indeed,  that  it  is 
their  value  to  our  common  humanity  which 
gives  them  their  right  to  be  regarded  as  belong- 
ing not  exclusively  to  German  literature,  but  to 
that  of  the  world.  This  value  to  our  common 
humanity  consists  in  the  high  moral  and  relig- 
ious ideas  and  views  with  which  all  these  works 
are  permeated. 

If  these  Middle  Age  writings  are  compared 
with  the  classic  productions  of  the  ancient  Gre- 
cian world,  the  latter  have,  indeed,  one  advan- 
tage— greater  beauty  of  form.  It  is  not,  how- 
ever, to  be  understood  that  mediaeval  German 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

literature  had  not  also  very  many  and  varied 
forms  of  versification  at  command.  In  this  re- 
spect it  is  hardly  inferior  to  the  Grecian.  For, 
aside  from  the  ancient  alliteration  and  the  well- 
known  Nibelungen  strophe,  we  find  in  the  epic 
poems,  as  well  as  in  the  lyric,  an  abundance  of 
the  most  artistically  perfected  forms  of  verse, 
which  later,  and  especially  among  the  meister- 
singers,  became  still  more  numerous,  finally 
degenerating,  it  is  true,  into  mere  external  arti- 
ficiality. 

The  greater  beauty  of  form  among  the  Greeks 
consisted  rather  in  the  whole  external  fashioning 
of  that  which  the  poet  presents  to  us, — namely, 
gods,  heroes,  men,  and  nature.  For  these 
poems  are  written  under  a  Southern  sky  and  in 
the  midst  of  a  luxuriant  nature.  The  richness 
of  form  and  brilliancy  of  color  of  this  outward 
world  was  the  image  which  immediately  im- 
pressed itself  upon  the  Greek  poet.  He  de- 
scribed only  what  he  saw,  and  this  was  by  its 
nature  splendid  and  beautiful ;  and  so  his  poetry 
became  of  itself  as  brilliant  as  the  model  whose 
mirror  it  was.  The  Germanic  poetic  works,  on 
the  contrary,  were  produced  in  the  regions  of 
the  North,  with  its  gloomy  clouds,  its  sombre 

30 


INTRODUCTORY  ESSAY 

forests,  its  icy  winters,  its  storm-tossed  seas. 
Just  as  here  in  the  North  the  forms  of  the  dis- 
tant mountains  indistinctly  blend  in  the  mist, 
instead,  as  in  the  South,  of  striking  the  eye  in 
sharp  outlines  leagues  away ;  as,  in  general, 
beauty  of  form  in  all  nature  is  here  inconspicu- 
ous, so,  too,  in  poetry  it  is  not  the  first  consid- 
eration. The  attention  of  the  poet  is  directed 
to  the  inner,  intellectual  import  rather  than  to 
the  outer  mold.  If,  then,  Germanic  poetical 
works  attract  us  less  by  their  outward  beauty 
of  form,  they  charm  us  the  more  by  that  which 
among  the  Greeks  falls  into  the  background — 
by  their  emphatically  moral  sentiments. 

There  is  a  strongly  pronounced  moral  princi- 
ple pervading  all  the  chief  Germanic  poetical 
works  and  forming  the  actuating  motive  in  the 
most  important  events.  This  principle  is  loyalty 
— loyalty  of  lovers  to  one  another ;  loyalty  of 
vassal  to  lord  and  lord  to  vassal ;  loyalty  to 
promise,  oath,  and  contract;  loyalty  to  deity 
and  religious  duty.  As  good  faith  lies  at  the 
foundation  of  the  might  and  triumph  of  the 
hero,  so  breach  of  faith  entails  misery  and  ruin. 
In  view  of  this  deep  moral  tendency  the  Greek 
literature  cannot  compare  with  the  Germanic, 

3* 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

for  even  if,  in  the  former,  similar  traits  occasion- 
ally appear,  yet  its  strength  lies  not  in  an  ele- 
vated morality,  but  far  more  in  delineation  of 
the  sensual,  the  worldly,  and  the  natural ;  while 
the  Germanic  poets  have  ever  cultivated  the 
moral,  the  supernatural,  the  religious,  and  the 
metaphysical.  Of  course  Germanic  literature 
in  this  respect  owes  much  to  Christianity ;  but 
even  the  purely  pagan  poesy,  while  yet  un- 
touched by  the  doctrines  of  Christ,  exhibits  the 
traits  above  referred  to,  as  Tacitus,  in  his  Ger- 
mania^  long  ago  commendingly  remarked. 

The  constancy  of  lovers  is  the  leading  motive 
in  the  Gudrun  Lay.  Gudrun,  the  princess,  is 
taken  prisoner  by  the  young  king,  Hartmut. 
His  mother,  Gerlinde,  insists  that  this  maiden 
shall  marry  her  son.  But  Gudrun  is  already 
betrothed  to  the  prince,  Herwig.  All  attempts 
to  make  her  false  to  him  are  vain.  The  great- 
est indignities  are  heaped  upon  her :  in  the  cold 
of  winter,  on  the  sands  by  the  sea,  with  bare 
feet  and  torn  garments,  she  is  compelled  to  wash 
the  linen.  But,  with  unwavering  constancy,  she 
bears  all.  She  knows  well  that  her  lover  also 
will  be  true.  Many  years  pass.  Then  comes 
the  day  of  deliverance.  The  lover  appears 

3* 


INTRODUCTORY   ESSAY 

with  a  well-manned  fleet,  storms  the  castle,  and 
releases  his  bride. 

In  the  Nibelungen  Lied,  as  well,  loyalty  is  the 
actuating  motive.  Siegfried,  having  wooed  for 
himself  Chriemhild,  the  king's  sister,  wins  Brun- 
hild to  wife  for  King  Gunther.  But  it  is  ac- 
complished by  deceit :  and  now  are  fulfilled 
those  words  of  Schiller,  the  poet, — 

"  That  is  the  curse  of  evil  deeds, 
That  evil  evermore  they  must  engender." 

As  soon  as  Brunhild  perceives  that  it  is 
through  a  dreadful  deception  on  the  part  of 
Siegfried  that  she  has  become  the  wife  of  the 
unloved  Gunther,  the  only  atonement  for  the 
outrage  acceptable  to  her  is  the  death  of  the 
offender.  And  Hagen,  from  loyalty  towards 
his  queen,  whose  cause  he  assumes,  slays  the 
hero.  Now,  indeed,  Brunhild  is  avenged,  but 
Chriemhild's  happiness  has  been  wrecked  and 
ruined.  Only  one  thought  binds  her  still  to 
life — in  undeviating  loyalty  to  her  beloved  to 
take  vengeance  on  his  murderers.  From  fidelity 
to  Siegfried,  in  order  to  obtain  power  for  revenge, 
she  becomes  the  wife  of  Etzel.  Through  true 
love  itself,  the  gentle  Chriemhild  is  finally  trans- 

3  33 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

formed  into  that  fearful  fury,  whose  mad  rage 
condemns  to  death  her  own  race  and  herself. 
In  the  terrible  struggle  that  now  ensues,  the 
glorious  traits  of  loyalty  again  and  again  shine 
forth.  Hagen  foreboded  that  the  expedition  to 
the  land  of  the  Huns  meant  death  to  himself 
and  his  kings ;  therefore  he  had  advised  against 
it.  But  when,  notwithstanding,  the  journey  is 
determined  upon,  he  faithfully  follows  his  lords  to 
certain  death.  And  when  they  are  to  be  spared 
by  Chriemhild,  if  only  they  deliver  Hagen  up  to 
her,  they  reject  with  indignation  such  a  proposal, 
and  die  true  to  their  vassal. 

Not  only  are  the  whole  happiness  and  the 
very  being  of  man  dependent  upon  his  loyalty, 
but  the  gods  themselves  are  subject  to  the  same 
moral  law.  They,  too,  subsist  only  so  long  as 
they  are  faithful  to  their  covenants,  and  their 
downfall  is  assured  if  they  are  false  to  oath  or 
contract.  The  violation  of  the  moral  law  of 
good  faith  determines  the  destruction  of  the 
deities  in  the  so-called  "  twilight  of  the  gods"  in 
the  old  German  mythology,  and  in  that  form  of 
the  Nibelung  myth  preserved  in  the  Eddas,  upon 
which  Richard  Wagner  has  founded  his  great 
music-drama,  The  Ntbelungen  Ring. 

34 


INTRODUCTORY   ESSAY 

In  Wagner's  work  the  giants  have  built  for 
Wotan,  chief  of  the  gods,  a  castle  from  whence 
he  should  rule  the  world.  In  payment,  they 
receive  a  treasure  of  gold,  of  which  the  Nibe- 
lung  Alberich  had  robbed  the  nymphs  of  the 
Rhine,  and  from  which  he  had  forged  himself  a 
ring  which  gave  him  power  over  the  whole 
world.  Treasure  and  ring,  Wotan,  with  the 
help  of  Loge  (the  principle  of  evil,  the  crafty 
Satan,  whose  kingdom  is  Fire),  takes  from  Albe- 
rich by  force,  and  impelled  by  necessity,  sur- 
renders it  to  the  giants.  But  the  plundered 
Alberich  has  laid  a  curse  upon  the  ring,  that  it 
should  conduce  to  fatal  calamity  for  its  every 
possessor  from  this  time  on;  and  this  curse  is 
fulfilled.  Wotan,  the  bright  god  of  heaven,  has 
now  no  other  thought  than  to  wrest  again  from 
the  giants  the  potent  magic  ring.  He  himself, 
however,  may  not  do  this  by  force,  for  he  is 
bound  by  a  contract  concluded  with  the  giants, 
and  his  whole  divine  puissance  stands  and  falls 
with  his  loyalty  to  contracts.  But  by  an  arti- 
fice he  hopes  to  attain  his  object.  He  begets 
the  hero  race  of  the  Volsungs,  and  they,  inde- 
pendent of  him,  and  yet  virtually  his  tools,  are 
to  recapture  the  ring  and  hoard.  But  also 

35 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

Alberich,  of  the  shadowy,  lower  world,  seeks  to 
regain  the  ring.  He,  likewise,  for  this  purpose 
begets  a  son,  Hagen.  And  so  the  dark  demons 
of  the  depths  and  the  bright  gods  of  the  heavens 
are  equally  consumed  by  thirst  for  worldly  pos- 
session and  power,  as  embodied  in  the  Nibelung 
hoard.  Gods  and  demons  contend  for  it  with 
wily  art,  making  use  of  men  as  their  tools.  In 
this  contest  faith  after  faith  is  broken.  Death 
and  destruction,  therefore,  overtake  them  all, 
and  the  gods  themselves  are  doomed  to  perish 
because  they  fail  to  observe  the  moral  law. 
They  are  annihilated  by  the  principle  of  evil. 
This  is  the  meaning  of  the  allegoric  representa- 
tion of  the  gods  devoured  by  Loge,  the  fiery 
flame. 

It  is  in  the  highest  degree  worthy  of  note 
that  these  sublime  moral  and  religious  concep- 
tions, which  were  utterly  foreign  to  the  Greek 
world,  are  inherent  in  Teutonic  mythology, 
apart  from  any  visible  influence  exerted  by 
Christianity.  Under  the  influences  of  the 
Christian  religion,  then,  how  much  more  per- 
fectly must  these  traits  have  been  developed ! 
Now,  this  very  conformity  of  innate,  natural, 
moral  consciousness  with  the  spirit  of  Christian- 

36 


INTRODUCTORY   ESSAY 

ity  is  exemplified  in  Wolfram  von  Eschenbach's 
Parsifal,  the  most  profoundly  thoughtful  work 
of  the  Middle  Ages.  Wolfram's  Parsifal  has 
for  mediaeval  literature  the  same  significance 
that  Goethe's  Faust  has  for  the  literature  of 
to-day.  If  in  Faust  we  possess  a  psychological 
drama,  in  Parsifal  we  have  a  psychological  epic, 
— that  is,  the  outward  events  and  characters,  as 
far  as  the  latter  are  veritable  people  of  flesh  and 
blood,  serve  only  to  carry  and  illustrate  the  pro- 
founder  thoughts,  the  development  of  which 
engrosses  the  mind  of  the  poet.  If  Goethe's 
Faust  introduces  us  into  the  midst  of  the  world 
of  existing  moral  and  religious  sentiment,  and 
into  the  processes  of  modern  philosophic 
thought,  so,  likewise,  it  is  the  mediaeval  world 
of  moral  and  religious  thought,  especially  the 
world  of  Christian  sentiment,  which  lies  at  the 
very  root  of  Wolfram's  Parsifal  Here,  too, 
loyalty  is  the  alpha  and  omega  of  the  whole. 
Here,  indeed,  it  is  loyalty  to  the  Lord  of  all,  to 
Christ  himself.  Parsifal  is  the  man  who  is  false 
to  this  allegiance,  falls  into  doubt  and  degen- 
eracy, but  is  finally  brought  back  to  a  new  and 
incorruptible  faith  in  Christ.  This  deep,  relig- 
ious theme  is,  however,  by  no  means  treated  in 

37 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

abstract,  moralizing  fashion,  but  completely  and 
richly  reclothed  with  the  flesh  and  blood  of 
poesy.  The  experiences  of  Parsifal's  outward 
and  inner  life  are,  indeed,  such  as  are  common 
to  all  humanity,  and  yet  again  are  markedly 
individual.  Mediaeval  chivalry  confronts  us  in 
all  the  pomp  and  splendor  of  its  externals,  in 
greater  splendor,  indeed,  than  in  any  other  poet. 
But  while  these  other  poets  remain  engrossed 
with  mere  externals,  in  Wolfram  we  penetrate 
at  the  same  time  into  the  deepest  recesses  of  the 
human  heart,  learn  its  innermost  fancies  and 
strivings,  its  tremors  and  fears,  its  desires,  its 
will,  and  find  the  control  of  the  Divine  Spirit  in 
man,  in  the  contest  with  evil,  represented  in  a 
manner  not  to  be  surpassed.  The  action  of  the 
poem  centres  about  the  Holy  Grail,  the  vessel 
of  precious  stone,  which,  according  to  legend, 
was  in .  the  possession  of  Joseph  of  Arimathea, 
and  from  which  our  Lord  at  the  Last  Supper 
offered  the  wine  to  his  disciples,  and  in  which, 
afterwards,  his  blood  was  received  when  the 
centurion  Longinus  pierced  his  side.  In  a 
magnificent  temple  it  is  guarded  by  the  noblest, 
the  purest,  the  most  pious,  and  the  bravest 
knights.  Through  the  forest  that  extends  for 

38 


INTRODUCTORY   ESSAY 

miles  around  the  temple  of  the  Grail,  only  he 
can  penetrate  who  is  called  thereto  by  the  grace 
of  God.  But  once  arrived  at  the  consecrated 
spot  of  highest  earthly  bliss,  he  should  ask  con- 
cerning the  significance  of  all  that  which  is 
there  unfolded  to  his  eyes.  If  he  fails  to  ask, 
he  is  expelled,  and  has  thrown  away  his  chance 
for  happiness ;  just  as  only  he  can  have  veritable 
part  in  salvation  who,  with  deepest  interest,  asks 
ever  and  ever  again  for  the  Saviour,  and  just 
thereby  continually  proves  his  intense  longing 
to  belong  to  Christ.  So,  then,  Parsifal,  as  a 
still  immature  youth,  who  is  ordained  to  become 
later  actually  the  King  of  the  Grail,  arrives  in 
the  holy  place  and  beholds  all  its  miracles  ac- 
complished; yet  at  first  only  with  the  bodily 
eye,  not  as  yet  with  deep,  spiritual  interest,  and 
hence  he  does  not  ask.  So  he  is  conducted  out 
again.  And  now  begins  his  journeying,  his 
wandering,  his  doubt  and  despair,  until,  finally, 
discipline  has  made  him  inwardly  ripe  for  true 
spiritual  understanding,  and  again  he  is  led  back 
to  the  temple,  now  with  eagerness  to  ask  the 
great  question,  and  to  be  found  worthy  to  be 
called  the  King  of  the  Holy  Grail. 


39 


Ill 

RICHARD   WAGNER   AND   THE   GERMAN 
LEGENDS 

IF  we  consider  the  abounding  richness  of  the 
German  mediaeval  poetical  literature,  with 
its  German  national  spirit  on  the  one  side,  and 
its  deep  moral  and  religious  sentiment  on  the 
other,  it  is  easily  explicable  why  just  those  Ger- 
man poets  of  the  present  day,  who,  on  the  one 
hand,  were  patriotically  inclined,  and  had,  on 
the  other  hand,  deep  moral  and  religious  con- 
victions with  philosophic  tastes,  should  feel 
themselves  powerfully  moved  to  ring  new 
changes  upon  these  grand  old  themes.  The 
active  interest  of  the  cultivated  German  public 
is  also  explicable.  Moreover,  it  appears  that 
those  new  poems  were  composed  in  a  new 
spirit,  in  so  far  as  they  rejected  any  uncouthness, 
or  littleness,  in  the  mediaeval  original,  brought 
out  more  clearly  the  moral  sentiment,  and  en- 
dowed persons  and  transactions  with  that  larger, 
deeper  fullness  of  thought  which,  from  the 

whole  store  of  later  classic  poetry,  philosophy, 

40 


INTRODUCTORY   ESSAY 

and  modern  life,  the  poet  had  at  disposal.  If, 
now,  an  actual  genius  arose,  who  had  at  com- 
mand the  whole  available  material  of  mediaeval 
and  modern  times,  in  whom  sensuous  fervor, 
philosophical  profundity,  and  religious  mysticism 
were  combined  in  wonderful  harmony,  and  in 
whom  the  purest  German  national  patriotism 
was  conjoined  with  the  keenest  appreciation  for 
whatever  pertained  to  humanity  in  general,  and 
who  was,  at  the  same  time,  a  great  dramatic 
poet,  having  also  in  the  highest  degree  the  pic- 
torial fancy  of  the  painter,  and  in  addition  was 
one  of  the  greatest  musicians  of  all  ages ;  and 
if  this  genius  who  united  in  himself  all  these 
wonderful  gifts  should  take  this  material  in  hand, 
transform  it  into  powerful,  theatrical,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  musical  works,  thus  bringing  it  to 
the  eye  and  ear  of  the  German  public,  long 
since  nationally,  poetically,  philosophically,  and 
religiously  prepared  for  its  reception,  should  it 
then  be  called  a  miracle  that  this  genius,  despite 
the  opposition  inseparable  from  all  that  is  new 
and  great,  should  take  the  hearts  of  his  country- 
men by  storm,  and  that  the  whole  old  Germanic 
and  mediaeval  world  of  legend  and  poetry  should, 
in  the  shortest  time,  be  reawakened  to  active 

41 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

existence  in  the  consciousness  of  the  German 
people*?  Such  a  genius  is  Richard  Wagner. 
As  no  one  before  him,  he  has  developed  the 
interest  in  that  old  Germanic  world  of  legend 
and  poetry,  until  it  has  become  a  universal 
interest,  and  has  reinstated  the  characters  of  that 
day  in  a  popularity  greater  than  was  theirs  origi- 
nally, not  only  in  Germany,  but  throughout  the 
cultivated  world. 

For  the  opponents  of  Wagner,  at  least,  or  for 
those  who  have  not  yet  come  to  understand  his 
greatness,  it  must  be  especially  observed,  how 
all  his  works  are  pervaded  by  a  deep  moral 
sentiment,  and  how  he  invariably  awards  to  it 
the  victory.  That  his  Parsifal  is  equivalent  to 
a  mystery  play  of  the  grandest  religious  type  is 
now  well  enough  known.  To  the  moral  truth 
which  forms  the  central  thought  of  the  Nibelun- 
gen  Ring  we  have  already,  in  a  general  way, 
called  attention.  We  would  only  add  a  word 
in  regard  to  the  significance  of  the  figure  of 
Siegfried.  Siegfried  is  summer  and  springtide, 
youth  and  strength,  beauty  and  love,  the  em- 
bodiment of  all  these.  Every  good  falls  to  him, 
as  in  play,  without  exertion  ;  thus  the  Nibelung 

hoard,  and,  above    all,    the   ring   which   gives 

42 


INTRODUCTORY   ESSAY 

power  over  the  world.  He  owns  them,  but, 
since  in  his  person  he  already  possesses  all  per- 
fections, and  therefore  is  wholly  content  in 
himself,  he  is  indifferent  to  all  these  treasures. 
But  nothing  is  more  offensive  to  this  world  of 
wickedness  and  baseness  than  such  a  shining 
light,  and  all  the  demons  of  darkness  are  still 
pledged  to  destroy  such,  whenever  they  let 
themselves  be  seen.  And  so  here,  too,  base 
greed,  deceitful  envy,  and  mortal  hatred  at  once 
combine  for  Siegfried's  ruin.  The  hero  of  light 
must  fall  victim  to  the  dark  wiles  of  Hagen, 
even  as  still  every  ideal  in  the  world  is  attacked 
by  the  devices  of  evil  and  the  envy  of  that 
which  is  base.  This  eternal  truth  Wagner  has 
impressively  emphasized  in  his  Siegfried  of  the 
Nibelungen  Ring,  and  just  therein  lies  the  over- 
powering effect  of  the  wonderful  funeral  march 
which  he  introduces  after  the  death  of  Siegfried, 
which  says  in  tones  all  that  we  have  sought  to 
make  clear  in  words,  and  whose  motto  should 
be  those  lines  from  Schiller : 

"  Lo,  in  the  heavens,  the  gods  weep,  the  goddesses  all 

are  bemoaning, 

That  the  beautiful  fades,  that  what  is  perfect  must 
die." 

43 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

The  human  heart,  almost  despairing  at  such 
a  sight,  can  find  consolation  and  peace  only  in 
the  assurance  that  finally  the  day  of  retribution 
comes,  and  victory  over  evil  abides  with  the 
eternal  moral  law  of  good. 

Let  us,  further,  cast  a  rapid  glance  over 
Wagner's  remaining  works.  Rienzi,  his  only 
opera  not  based  on  a  Germanic  subject,  is  a 
political  tragedy  of  mediaeval  Italy,  in  which 
the  central  idea  is  the  freedom  of  the  people. 
The  plans  of  the  hero,  who  appears  as  champion 
for  the  rights  of  the  people,  are  wrecked  by  the 
intrigues  of  a  self-seeking  nobility  and  by  the 
enmity  of  the  church  allied  with  it. 

There  follow  then  the  four  dramas  whose 
theme  is  love  and  woman, — Wagner  deserving, 
above  all  others,  to  be  called  the  music-poet  of 
woman's  emotional  life.  In  all  his  works  he 
glorifies  woman,  and  exhibits  an  unswerving 
faith  in  the  saving  power  of  pure  woman's  love. 
The  self-sacrificing  love  of  the  woman  in  the 
Flying  Dutchman  saves  the  beloved  man  from 
everlasting  perdition.  In  Tannhauser,  the  sensual, 
sinful  love  of  the  man  is  sharply  contrasted  with 
the  pure,  chaste  love  of  the  woman.  The  curse 
of  the  former  ruins  the  man,  but  the  blessing  of 


INTRODUCTORY   ESSAY 

the  latter  redeems  him.  In  Lohengrin,  the  man 
nobly  appears  as  the  champion  of  the  innocence 
and  honor  of  woman.  The  pure  happiness  of 
love  which  follows  from  this  act  of  devotion  is, 
however,  destroyed  again  by  that  sorry  inheri- 
tance of  the  daughters  of  Eve,  inconsiderate 
curiosity,  here  basely  provoked  by  the  enemies 
of  Lohengrin.  Tristan  and  Isolde  depicts  the 
curse  of  passionate,  sensual  love,  which  overrides 
all  lawful  limits,  and  must  therefore  inevitably 
end  in  ruin.  On  account  of  this  very  work, 
Wagner  has  been  repeatedly  attacked,  from 
misapprehension.  For,  glowingly  as  he  there 
paints  the  consuming  fire  of  sensual  love,  this  is 
not  the  real  aim  of  the  work.  The  moral  lies, 
far  rather,  in  the  tragic  guilt  which  the  lovers 
heap  upon  themselves,  and  which,  according  to 
the  eternal  consequences  of  the  immutable 
moral  law,  must  involve  their  ruin. 

A  single  word  may  also  be  said  in  regard  to 
The  Meister singers.  This  work  occupies  a  place 
peculiar  to  itself,  in  so  far  as  it  lies  wholly  in 
the  sphere  of  aesthetics  and  the  history  of  art. 
It  contains  Wagner's  aesthetic  creed,  and  has,  in 
certain  respects,  a  polemic  spirit.  Wagner  en- 
tered upon  new  paths  in  art,  and  thus  had  to 

45 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

suffer  the  strongest  opposition  on  the  part  of 
the  older  school.  These,  his  own  struggles 
with  the  adherents  of  the  old  school,  he  has 
poetically  embodied  in  The  Meister singers.  The 
old  fogies,  who  in  their  poverty  of  soul  still 
cherish  the  hollow  form  without  substance,  are 
the  Meistersingers,  with  their  scholastic  pedantry ; 
while  young  Walther,  greeted  by  Hans  Sachs 
with  hearty  appreciation,  represents  the  genius 
who  enters  upon  the  new  path. 

Music  may  be  called  an  international  lan- 
guage. No  one  in  modern  times  has  so  well 
understood  its  utterance  as  Wagner.  Just  on 
this  account  one  can  say  of  him  that  he  had  a 
mission  to  all  peoples ;  and  this  mission,  again, 
can  be  no  other  than  the  propagation  of  the 
ideas  which  are  exhibited  in  his  works.  These 
ideas  are,  however,  a  great  part  of  the  best  and 
noblest  that  German  literature  has  produced, 
and  it  will  repay  other  peoples  to  examine 
them,  and  to  imbibe  the  spirit  of  these  works. 

The  great  difference  between  the  literary 
works  of  the  Latin  and  Germanic  peoples  is 
well  known.  The  works  of  the  Latin  races  are 
distinguished,  indeed,  in  general,  by  greater 

elegance  of  form  and  greater  euphony  of  lan- 

46 


INTRODUCTORY   ESSAY 

guage.  But  the  works  of  the  Germanic  peoples 
have,  in  contrast  to  the  careless  grace  and  frivol- 
ity of  the  former,  decidedly  the  advantage  of  a 
higher  moral  earnestness  and  deeper  thoughtful- 
ness.  If  Latin  authors  attempt  a  tone  of  moral 
earnestness,  they  almost  invariably  fall  at  once 
into  the  narrowness  of  dogmatism.  They  do  not 
possess  the  lofty  philosophic,  and  deeply  moral 
and  religious,  yet  undogmatic  spirit  of  the  Ger- 
manic literatures.  There  is  therefore  no  ques- 
tion that  the  future  belongs  in  larger  measure  to 
the  latter  than  to  the  former.  In  any  case,  that 
which  has  intrinsic  value  will  ultimately  triumph 
over  the  mere  semblance  of  worth. 

The  literatures  of  the  Teutonic  peoples  are  an 
inexhaustible  wellspring  of  the  true,  the  good, 
and  the  beautiful,  and  among  these  literatures 
the  German  in  particular  has  been  declared,  by 
those  best  acquainted  with  the  subject  among 
the  various  nations,  to  possess  a  store  of  costly 
treasures  not  to  be  surpassed.  That  this  applies 
not  only  to  the  more  modern  German  literature, 
but  to  the  mediaeval  as  well,  is  not  at  present 
doubted  by  any  competent  critic ;  and  Richard 
Wagner  is  the  most  decided  advance  champion 
for  the  truth  of  this  tenet.  It  is  therefore  to  be 

47 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

regarded  as  a  very  commendable  undertaking, 
when,  as  in  the  work  before  us,  an  opportunity 
is  afforded  the  American  public  to  better  acquaint 
themselves  with  this  literature.  If,  through 
Wagner's  music,  interest  is  awakened  in  this 
early  literature,  so,  on  the  other  hand,  an  intelli- 
gent re-rendering  of  the  substance  of  these  ancient 
works  will  largely  contribute  to  the  understand- 
ing of  the  peculiar  character  of  the  Wagnerian 
music. 


DR.  WILHELM  WAGNER'S 

PROSE    VERSION    OF 

THE  NIBELUNGEN  LIED 

TRANSLATED  AND   ANNOTATED 


, 


PART  I 
SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

I 

SIEGFRIED'S  YOUTH 

THERE  was  reared   in  the  Netherlands  a 
child  called  Siegfried.     His  father,  Sieg- 
mund,  was  a  noble  king,  of  the  famous  race 
of  the  Volsungs,1  who   trace  their   ancestry  to 
Wotan 2  himself.      His  mother,  Sieglinde,  was 

1  The  Volsungs  were  the  descendants  of  Volsung 
(written  variously,  as  Volsung,  Wolsung,  or  Walse). 
According    to    the    Volsunga   Saga,    Volsung    was    a 
powerful   monarch    of   miraculous    birth,    the    great- 
grandson   of   Wotan,   and   the   father   of   Siegmund. 
(See  p.  309.) 

2  Wotan,  and  all  German  names  with  the  initial  W , 
should  be  pronounced  as  though  that  letter  were  an 
English  v,  which  indeed  it  often  is  in  the  anglicized 
forms  of  these  words.     Wotan,  or  Woden,  is  the  Ger- 
man equivalent  to  the  Norse  Odin,  the  chief  of  the 
twelve  gods  of  the  early  Teutons.     The  worship  of 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

of  no  less  noble  descent.  Both  rejoiced  over 
their  son,  for  he  early  showed  such  strength 
and  prowess  that  it  was  hoped  he  would  some 
day  win  great  renown  as  a  hero.  However,  he 
soon  became  conscious  of  his  great  physical 
power,  and  grew  headstrong  and  uncontrollable. 
He  would  brook  no  opposition  ;  he  beat  his 
comrades  till  the  blood  flowed, — even  those  who 
were  far  older  than  he.  With  his  years  his 
unbridled  passions  grew,  so  that  he  was  hated 
and  avoided  by  all  other  boys,  and  his  parents 
were  greatly  concerned  about  him.  Then  Sieg- 
mund  told  the  queen  that  he  knew  one  more 
plan  by  which  the  little  savage  might  be  con- 
trolled. He  would  give  him  as  apprentice  to 
the  smith  Mimer,1  who  dwelt  in  the  adjacent 

Wotan  by  our  own  immediate  ancestors,  the  Anglo- 
Saxons,  is  indicated  by  the  names  of  places  in  Eng- 
land into  which  his  name  enters.  The  names  of  our 
days  of  the  week  still  remind  us  of  this  old  mythology : 
Wednesday  being  the  modern  form  for  Woden's  day, 
Thursday  for  Thor's  day,  etc. 

1  In  chivalric  times  no  industry  was  more  important 
than  the  forging  of  weapons  and  armor.  Many  an  in- 
vincible hero  was  thought  to  owe  his  success  primarily 
to  a  wonderful  sword,  the  merits  of  whose  steel  and 

52 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

forest  and  forged  stout  helms,  bright  breast- 
plates, shields,  swords,  and  wondrous  ornaments. 
He  was  a  strong,  wise  man,  and  would  teach 
the  boy  how  to  make  the  weapons  that  some 
day  as  a  knight  he  should  wield.  The  queen 
gave  her  consent,  and  the  father  took  that  course 
with  his  unruly  son. 

When  the  smith  heard  the  story,  he  was 
ready  and  willing  to  take  the  king's  son  in 
hand.  He  thought  it  would  not  prove  difficult 
to  initiate  this  powerful  youth  in  his  business. 
The  useful  work  with  tongs  and  hammer  would 
tame  the  headstrong  spirit.  In  fact,  for  a  time 
it  went  as  well  as  could  be  desired.  The  young 
apprentice  took  delight  in  the  swords,  armor, 
and  works  of  art  produced  in  the  fire  and 
under  the  hammer  of  the  master  and  his  work- 
men, which,  when  polished,  shone  like  the  sun. 

workmanship  are  sometimes  described  in  terms  that 
suggest  feats  of  magic.  The  smith,  therefore,  came 
to  be  so  important  a  personage  that  King  Siegmund 
might  well  be  angry  when  Mimer  was  slain  (p.  60). 
In  a  sense  the  smiths,  elsewhere  called  now  Mimir, 
now  Mime,  are  doubtless  identical  with  Mimer  of  our 
text,  though  the  sagas  where  they  occur  differ  not  less 
than  these  spellings. 

53 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

He  sought  himself  to  produce  such  artistic 
equipments.  At  first  he  hammered  to  fragments 
iron  and  precious  metal ;  but  he  learned  to  con- 
trol his  violence,  and  showed  much  skill.  One 
year  and  another  passed  tolerably.  Meantime 
the  prince  attained  almost  to  manhood's  stature. 
Now  the  labor  became  tedious,  and  when  the 
apprentices  corrected  him,  he  beat  them,  threw 
them  down,  and  once  dragged  one  of  them, 
the  best  smith,  the  skilful  Wieland,1  by  the  hair 
of  the  head,  to  the  master. 

"  That  won't  do  !"  said  the  old  man.  "Come 
here  ;  thou  shalt  forge  for  thyself  a  good  sword." 

For  that,  Siegfried  was  ready  at  once.  He  de- 
manded the  best  iron  and  the  heaviest  hammer, 


1  Wieland  is  renowned  in  German  legends  as  a  skil- 
ful smith,  and,  in  the  story  of  his  early  youth,  we  read 
that,  at  the  time  when  he  was  apprenticed  to  Mimer, 
he  received  such  rough  treatment  at  the  hands  of  his 
fellow-pupil,  young  Siegfried,  that  Wieland's  father 
was  obliged  to  take  him  away  and  apprentice  him  to 
the  dwarfs.  Later  he  forged  a  famous  sword  which  he 
called  "  Mimung,"  presumably  in  memory  of  his  old 
master.  Among  the  treasures  of  Henry  I.  of  Eng- 
land was  a  sword  which  was  said  to  have  been  made 
by  Wieland. 

54 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

which  the  apprentices  were  wont  to  swing  with 
both  hands.  Mimer  drew  the  heaviest  iron  bar 
red-hot  from  the  fire  and  laid  it  on  the  anvil. 
Siegfried  swung  the  hammer  with  one  hand  like 
a  toy.  The  blow  crashed  down  like  a  thunder- 
bolt ;  the  house  trembled  to  its  foundations  ;  the 
iron  was  shattered  into  fragments  that  flew  on 
every  side ;  and  the  anvil  sank  a  foot  deep  into 
the  ground. 

"  That  won't  do  !"  said  the  old  man,  as  before. 
"  We  must  try  another  way,  my  boy,  if  thou 
wouldst  make  for  thyself  a  good  weapon.  Over 
there  in  the  pine  woods  dwells  a  charcoal-burner 
who  furnishes  the  best  coals ;  fetch  me  a  good 
load  of  them  on  thy  strong  shoulders.  Mean- 
while I  will  get  together  iron  of  the  best  to 
forge  thee  a  blade  the  like  of  which  no  knight 
has  ever  yet  wielded." 

That  seemed  to  the  youth  so  amiable  a  speech 
that  at  once  he  grasped  a  powerful  axe  and 
strolled  away  to  the  wood.  The  trees  stretched 
towards  the  youth  their  fresh,  green  branches ; 
the  birds  sang  of  the  cheery  spring ;  there  was 
a  merry  life  in  the  fragrant  dales,  where  violet 
and  forget-me-not  nodded  kindly  to  him,  as  if 
they  foretold  him  good  fortune.  He  plucked  a 

55 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

nosegay  of  these  children  of  the  spring,  and 
stuck  it  in  his  leather  cap.  Going  further,  he 
reached  a  somber  grove  of  firs.  There  was 
heard  no  song  of  birds,  but  a  muffled  sound,  a 
hissing  and  gurgling  and  roaring,  that  might 
well  have  alarmed  a  less  intrepid  traveller.  He 
soon  perceived  the  cause  of  this  wild  tumult. 
It  was  a  marshy  lake  in  which  gigantic  turtles, 
snakes,  and  dragons  wriggled  about. 

"  In  all  my  life  I  never  saw  so  many  horrible 
reptiles,"  said  Siegfried  to  himself;  "  but  I  will 
soon  put  an  end  to  that  nest  of  spooks." 

Immediately  he  cut  down  dead  trees  and 
rolled  them  into  the  dismal  slough,  until  it  was 
quite  hidden  under  them.  Then,  leaping  over 
all  obstacles,  he  ran  to  the  charcoal-burner's  hut, 
which  he  recognized  by  the  fumes  rising  from 
the  charcoal  pits.  Of  the  sooty  coaler  he 
begged  fire  to  burn  the  reptiles. 

"  Poor  youth !"  said  the  coaler ;  "  it  is  a  pity 
to  shed  thy  young  blood ;  but,  if  thou  returnest 
by  the  same  way,  the  hideous  dragon  will  fall 
upon  thee,  from  out  a  cleft  in  the  rock,  and 
make  a  meal  of  thee.  Smith  Mimer  is  a 
treacherous  fellow.  He  was  here  before  thee, 
and  told  me  a  wicked  story, — how  he  had  in- 

56 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

censed  the  reptile1  against  thee,  because  thou 
wert  far  too  unruly." 

"  Be  not  distressed,  good  man,"  replied  Sieg- 
fried. "  I  will  slay  the  dragon,  and  the  tricky 
smith  as  well.  Only  give  me  fire,  that  I  may 
first  burn  up  this  poisonous  brood." 

With  a  sigh  for  his  young  blood,  the  char- 
coal-burner gave  him  a  panful  of  glowing  coals, 
and  gazed  sadly  after  him  as  he  hurried  away. 

The  swift-footed  youth  was  soon  again  at 
the  slough.  With  the  coals  he  set  fire  to  the 
dried  wood  at  various  points ;  the  wind  fanned 
the  flames  till  they  leaped  high  in  the  air,  and 

1  The  communication  between  Mimer  and  the 
dragon,  here  implied,  can  be  better  imagined  when  we 
consider  that  the  Thidreks  Saga  (see  note  on  p.  306) 
tells  of  a  brother  of  the  famous  smith  Mimer  who 
had  taken  the  form  of  a  dragon.  This  reptile  was  at 
enmity  with  all  the  world  except  his  brother,  and  to 
him  alone  confided  the  place  of  his  concealment.  We 
observe  marked  resemblances  and  strong  contrasts 
between  this  dragon  story  and  that  of  Fafner  in  the 
older  versions.  The  dragon  that  Sigurd  (Siegfried) 
slew,  in  the  Volsunga  Saga,  was  also  the  brother  of 
a  smith,  Reigin,  who  instructed  Sigurd  and  urged 
him  to  attack  the  monster  (cf.  pp.  281-288  and  313- 
316). 

57, 


UNIVERSITY 
LFQR1 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

the  reptiles  simmered  and  stewed  in  the  lake, 
filling  the  air  with  hideous  shrieks.  Siegfried 
meantime  hewed  for  himself  a  powerful  club 
from  a  tree-trunk.  Gradually  it  grew  stiller  in 
the  swamp,  and  finally  the  last  sound  was 
hushed.  The  bold  youth  went  around  the  lake. 
At  a  spot  where  the  bank  was  low,  he  saw 
flowing  from  the  seething  mass  a  little  stream  of 
melted  fat.  He  thrust  his  finger  into  it,  and  per- 
ceived that  it  became  covered  with  a  horny  coat. 
"Aha  !"  said  he  ;  "  that  is  good  in  battle." 
So  he  undressed  and  bathed  his  whole  body 
in  the  liquid  fat.1  But  between  the  shoulders, 
where  a  fallen  linden  leaf  adhered,  one  spot  re- 

1  This  bath  in  the  fat  of  reptiles  corresponds  to  the 
bath  in  dragon's  blood  to  which  allusion  is  made  (pp. 
159,  162)  in  connection  with  the  plans  for  slaying 
Siegfried. 

In  Der  hornerne  Siegfried,  with  which  Dr.  Wagner's 
first  and  third  chapters  for  the  most  part  coincide,  it 
is  clearly  stated  (1:  10)  that  the  horny  covering  of 
the  bodies  of  these  burning  dragons  softened  and 
flowed  away  from  the  lake  in  a  little  stream.  In  this, 
Siegfried  dipped  his  finger,  and,  finding  that  the  fluid, 
cooling  upon  his  finger,  became  horn  again,  washed 
(bestrich)  his  whole  body  with  it,  and  became  thereby 
invulnerable.  Unfortunately,  however,  his  hands 

58 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

mained  untouched  by  the  horny  coat,  of  which 
only  later  he  became  aware.  When  all  was  fin- 
ished, and  he  had  again  donned  his  garment  of 
leather,  he  proceeded  on  his  way  well  content,  his 
club  upon  his  shoulder.  Then  suddenly  the 
dragon,  roaring  and  with  open  jaws,  sprang  upon 
him  from  out  a  cleft  in  the  rock.  Three  powerful 
blows  of  the  club  felled  the  monster.  Head 
and  spine  were  broken  ;  but  long  it  writhed  and 
lashed  with  its  tail  before  its  life  was  spent. 

"  The  beast  is  dead,"  said  the  brave  youth ; 
"  now  for  the  sooty  master  and  his  men." 

With  these  words  he  strode  on  wrathfully. 
As  the  men  saw  the  young  hero  approaching 

failed  to  reach  a  spot  between  his  shoulders,  and 
through  this,  as  we  shall  see  further  on,  the  weapon 
of  the  assassin  finally  pierces  him.  The  Nibelungen 
Lied  accounts  for  the  unprotected  spot  by  the  theory 
of  the  linden  leaf,  and  Dr.  Wagner  has  followed  the 
Lied  here,  in  the  interest  of  consistency. 

Neither  the  bath  nor  the  horny  coat  is  mentioned 
in  the  Eddas.  There,  as  in  the  Volsunga  Saga,  how- 
ever, we  are  told  that  Siegfried  tasted  the  blood  of 
the  dragon,  and  thereby  acquired  the  power  to  inter- 
pret the  language  of  birds.  In  the  opera,  Siegfried, 
Wagner  makes  conspicuous  use  of  this  feature  of  the 
myth  (see  p.  288). 

59 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

thus  in  anger,  they  fled  in  terror  to  the  wood 
and  hid  themselves  in  the  thicket.  But  the 
master  tarried  at  the  door  of  his  smithy,  wherein 
so  long  he  had  dwelt  in  peace.  He  sought  at 
first  to  appease  his  pupil  by  flattering  words, 
but  then  he  drew  his  sharp  sword.  Siegfried, 
on  the  other  hand,  swung  his  club,  and  with  one 
blow  brake  the  blade  and  the  head  of  the  smith. 

"  Hey,  Master  Mimer !"  cried  he ;  "  thou  wilt 
set  no  more  dragons  on  thy  pupil." 

Then  he  settled  himself  in  the  smithy,  and 
with  patience  and  diligence  forged  himself  a 
sword  that  he  tempered  in  the  blood  of  the 
dragon.  Upon  this  piece  of  work  he  spent 
several  weeks,  but  then  the  weapon  was  polished 
and  sharp  and  well-tempered.  He  girded  it  on 
and  wended  his  way  back  to  the  palace  of  his 
father. 

Meanwhile  the  news  of  these  events  had 
spread  itself  abroad  in  the  land ;  and  when  Sieg- 
fried entered  the  paternal  halls,  he  found  the 
king  angry  and  his  mother  in  tears. 

"Thou  hast  done  an  evil  work,"  said  Sieg- 
mund.  "  Without  cause,  in  thine  ungovernable 
rage,  thou  hast  killed  the  best  master  in  all  the 

world,  a  man  who  was  most  useful  to  me." 

60 


SIEGFRIED'S  LIFE 

"  Thy  hand  is  stained  with  innocent  blood," 
cried  the  queen,  and  wept  still  more. 

The  tears  of  the  mother,  the  reproaches  of 
the  father,  brake  the  untamable,  savage  spirit  of 
the  son.  He  made  no  attempt  to  excuse  him- 
self, but  knelt  before  the  queen  and  buried  his 
face  in  his  hands. 

"  Mother,"  he  said,  "  thy  tears  cut  me  to  the 
heart.  Weep  no  more  ;  I  will  submit, — will  be 
an  honest,  upright  knight." 

The  troubled  parents  were  comforted  again 
by  these  words  of  their  penitent  child,  and  the 
more  so  when  they  learned  fuller  particulars, 
which  the  charcoal-burner,  moreover,  con- 
firmed. 

From  this  time  on,  Siegfried  was  completely 
changed.  He  appeared  kindly  and  companion- 
able, bore  the  corrections  of  intelligent  men, 
listened  to  their  words  and  advice,  and  exerted 
himself  to  grow  wise  and  prudent.  When  un- 
bridled passion  rose  in  his  heart,  he  thought  of 
the  tears  of  his  mother  and  the  reproaches  of 
his  father,  and  conquered  and  ruled  the  wicked 
spirit  which  once  had  robbed  him  of  his  discre- 
tion. Then  he  found  favor  with  the  nobles  of 
the  court ;  and  the  women,  too,  looked  kindly 

61 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

upon  the  noble-hearted  youth,  who,  in  stature 
and  strength  of  limb,  excelled  the  stateliest  men. 
The  flashing  eyes,  the  lofty  brow,  the  blond 
locks  that  waved  upon  his  handsome  head,  and 
the  nobility  of  his  carriage  completed  the  charm 
of  his  external  appearance.1  In  martial  games, 
in  tournaments,  and  especially  in  fencing,  no 
knight  could  compare  with  him. 

The  queen  now  wept  tears  of  joy  when  she 
looked  upon  her  noble  son  and  clasped  him  in 
her  arms,  and  his  father  thought  that  Siegfried 
would  soon  accomplish  greater  feats  than  had 
he  himself  and  all  his  famous  ancestors.  There- 
fore he  arranged  a  great  festival,  and  bestowed 
sword  and  armor  upon  Siegfried  and  his  com- 
rades and  upon  many  native  and  foreign  nobles, 

1  The  following  description  of  Siegfried's  person 
is  found  in  the  sagas:  "His  hair  was  brown  and 
beautiful  to  look  upon,  and  hung  in  wavy  masses.  His 
beard  was  thick  and  short  and  of  the  same  color.  He 
had  a  prominent  nose  and  a  full,  strong-featured  face. 
His  eyes  were  so  keen  that  few  could  meet  their  glance 
or  peer  beneath  the  arching  brows.  His  shoulders 
were  as  broad  as  if  one  saw  two  men.  His  body  was 
perfectly  proportioned  in  height  and  breadth,  and  so 
shapen  that  it  could  not  be  better." 

62 


SIEGFRIED'S  LIFE 

or,  as  would  be  said  later,  he  knighted  them.1 
A  general  tournament2  terminated  the  festivi- 
ties. Now,  when  Siegfried  proved  victor  in 
every  strife  and  stood  there  grand  and  majestic 
before  the  assembled  folk,  thousands  and  thou- 
sands of  voices  cried : 

"  Long  live  young  Siegfried,  our  king,  to- 
gether with  his  worthy  father." 

But  he  waved  his  hand,  and  said,  modestly : 

1  Even  before  the  days  of  chivalry  the  bestowal  of 
his  first  sword  upon  a  young  warrior  was  made  the 
occasion  of  great  ceremonies  and  festivities.     Indeed, 
Tacitus   mentions   this   Teutonic   custom   in   his    Ger- 
mania.     In  the  later  Middle  Ages  the  festivities  at- 
tendant upon  this  occasion  seem  to  have  been  more 
splendid  and  the  honor  conferred  still  more  highly 
esteemed, — one  which  the  sons  of  kings  and  emperors 
thought  it  not  unbecoming  their  dignity  to  seek.     The 
celebration  of  a  coronation,  royal  birth  or  baptism, 
the  knighting  of  a  prince  or  his  marriage,  was  made 
still  more  imposing  by  the  knighting  of  many  nobles 
at  that  time,  the  latter  being  proud  to  receive  their 
arms  upon  so  grand  an  occasion.     Thus,  at  his  coro- 
nation, Maximilian  I.  created  two  hundred  knights; 
and  the  three  sons  of  Philip  the  Fair  of  France,  being 
knighted,  immediately  conferred  the  like  honor  upon 
four  hundred  others. 

2  See  note  on  p.  88. 

63 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

"  Of  such  honor  I  am  not  yet  worthy.  I 
am  minded  first  to  win  a  kingdom  of  my  own, 
if  the  king  will  give  me  permission,  mounted  and 
armed,  to  range  at  will  through  distant  lands." 

In  the  evening  the  knights  sat  at  banquet  in 
the  royal  courts,  young  Siegfried  being  seated, 
not  by  his  father,  but  below,  where  the  young 
warriors  talked  of  the  deeds  they  should  achieve. 
They  told  of  far-away  Isenland,1  the  home  of 
the  beautiful  and  warlike  Brunhild,2  who  chal- 
lenged her  suitors  to  combat  and  had  already 
slain  many.  They  told  of  the  kingdom  of  the 
sorcerous  Nibelungs  ;3  of  a  Dragon-Rock,4  where 
dwelt  a  hellish  winged  dragon.  Moreover,  the 
young  knights  knew  stories  of  a  charming  prin- 
cess at  Worms,6  on  the  Rhine,  and  of  her  three 


1  See  note  on  p.  116.  2  See  note  2,  p.  120. 

3  See  pp.  69-71.  *  See  Chap.  III. 

6  "  This  city  of  Worms,  had  we  a  right  imagination, 
ought  to  be  as  venerable  to  us  moderns  as  any  Thebes 
or  Troy  was  to  the  ancients.  Whether  founded  by 
the  gods  or  not,  it  is  of  quite  unknown  antiquity  and 
has  witnessed  the  most  wonderful  things.  Within 
authentic  times,  the  Romans  were  here;  and  if  tra- 
dition may  be  credited,  Attila  also.  It  was  the  seat 
of  Austrasian  kings,  and  the  frequent  residence  of 

64 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

brothers  and  the  mighty  Hagen,  protectors  of 
the  maid.1 


Charlemagne  himself.  Innumerable  festivals,  high- 
tides,  tournaments,  and  imperial  diets  were  held  in 
it,  of  which  latter,  one  at  least,  that  where  Luther 
appeared  in  1521,  will  be  forever  remembered  by  all 
mankind. 

"  Nor  is  Worms  more  famous  in  history  than  it  is 
in  romance,  whereof  many  monuments  and  vestiges 
remain  to  this  day.  A  pleasant  meadow  there,  says 
Von  der  Hagen,  is  still  called  Chriemhild's  Rosen- 
garten.  The  name  Worms  itself  is  derived  from  the 
dragon,  or  Worm,  which  Siegfried  slew,  the  figure  of 
which  once  formed  the  city  arms.  In  past  times, 
there  was  also  to  be  seen  here  an  ancient,  strong 
Riesen  Haus  (Giant's  House),  and  many  a  memorial 
of  Siegfried:  his  lance,  sixty-six  feet  long  (almost 
eighty  English  feet),  in  the  Cathedral;  his  statue,  of 
gigantic  size,  on  the  Neue  Thurm  (New  Tower)  on 
the  Rhine;  the  Siegfried's  Chapel,  in  primeval,  pre- 
Gothic  architecture,  not  long  since  pulled  down,  etc. 
In  the  time  of  the  Mastersingers  too,  the  Stadtrath 
(city  council)  was  bound  to  give  a  certain  gratuity 
to  every  Master  who  sang  without  mistake  the  Lay 
of  Siegfried  (Meisterlied  von  Siegfrieden"),  the  pur- 
port of  which  is  now  unknown." — A.  Lubben's  Glos- 
sary to  the  Nibelungen. 

1  See  pp.  77,  78. 

5  65 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

"  Ah  !  that  must  be  sport  to  see  these  marvels 
and  encounter  adventures,"  cried  Siegfried  ;  and 
went  to  his  father  and  told  him  how  very  igno- 
rant he  was  of  foreign  parts,  how  he  had  no  mind 
to  linger  longer  at  home  in  lazy  repose. 

The  king,  who  in  his  own  early  years  had 
wandered  far  and  wide,  promised  him,  if  his 
mother  would  consent,  to  grant  his  prayer. 
The  following  day  the  queen  was  made  ac- 
quainted with  the  desire  of  her  son,  and,  after 
long  opposition,  yielded  to  the  entreaties  of  the 
young  knight.  He  received  the  best  and  most 
splendid  suit  of  armor,  the  good  sword  that  he 
himself  had  forged,  and  a  steed  swift  as  the 
wind,  which  he  was  permitted  to  choose  from 
the  royal  stud.  So  he  rode  forth  into  the  far- 
away world,  to  him  unknown,  full  of  courage, 
as  is  ever  the  case  with  hopeful  youth  which 
strives  to  attain  some  indefinite  good  in  the  dis- 
tance, despising  that  which  lies  at  hand. 

It  was  a  blissful  ride  through  the  fresh  fields 
and  green  forests.  He  sought  shelter  under 
lowly  roofs  and  in  the  castles  of  the  nobles,  and 
inquired  the  way  to  Isenland.  He  was  directed 
towards  the  north,  and  he  followed  the  road 
until  he  reached  the  sea.  He  found  a  boat 

66 


SIEGFRIED'S  LIFE 

ready  to  take  him  across,  but  the  boatmen 
feared  bad  weather.  Nevertheless,  they  raised 
anchor  at  his  command,  and  he  steered  the  craft 
with  firm  hand  through  the  wild,  storm-tossed 
waves,  and  landed,  after  a  short  transit,  in  a  safe 
harbor.  He  was  well  received  at  the  castle. 
Brunhild,  herself,  the  noble  queen,  welcomed 
him  in  the  hall,  where  many  knights  were  as- 
sembled in  banquet,  all  determined  to  enter  the 
dangerous  lists,  waging  battle  for  this  woman's 
hand. 

The  very  next  day,  many  knights  were  en- 
tered for  the  game  at  arms.  Then  Brunhild  ap- 
peared, glittering  in  helm,  cuirass,  and  shield, 
fair  as  Freya,1  when,  with  the  Valkyrs,2  she  led 


1  See  note  on  p.  174. 

2  The  Valkyrs  were  fair  daughters  of  Wotan,  of 
superhuman  powers,  enlisted  in  the  service  of  their 
father,  under  the  leadership  of  Freya,  a  favorite  god- 
dess of  great  power  and  beauty.    Their  duties  were  to 
care  for  the  table  appointments  and  drinking  vessels 
of  Valhalla,  the  home  of  the  gods,  and  to  pass  the 
beaker.     But  their  more  important  office  was  to  hover 
over  the  scene  of  strife,  to  decide  the  fate  of  battles, 
and  to  select  the  brave  from  among  the  fallen,  and 
bear  them  away  to  a  new  life  amid  the  delights  of 

67 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

the  battle  of  the  heroes.  Wonderingly  Sieg- 
fried gazed  upon  the  tall  form,  which  towered 
far  above  the  maidens  who,  armed  like  herself, 
formed  her  retinue.  But  the  hero  of  the  Nether- 
lands likewise  outshone  the  other  knights  by 
manly  grace,  by  his  lofty  and  powerful  stature 
and  glittering  armor.  Perhaps  the  wish  arose 
in  Brunhild's  heart  that  he  might  join  her 
suitors  and  win  the  victory.  But  he,  as  if  in 
sport,  threw  the  stone1  so  far  that  it  flew  out- 
side the  lists.  Then  he  gracefully  saluted  the 
queen,  bade  her  farewell,  and  sought  again  his 
boat. 

"My  troth  I  would  not  wish  to  plight  to 
this  warlike  maid,"  said  he  to  himself.  "  Modest 
and  prudent,  gentle  and  kindly,  must  be  the 
maiden  for  whose  favor  an  honest  knight  shall 
stake  life  and  fortune." 

Then  he  proceeded  on  his  way,  now  through 

Valhalla.  Wotan's  purpose  was  not  to  reward  the 
heroes,  but  to  reinforce  his  own  power,  in  anticipation 
of  its  prophesied  overthrow.  The  Valkyrs  are  de- 
scribed as  possessing  great  wisdom,  and  sometimes 
prophesying  future  events.  Upon  occasion  they  as- 
sumed the  forms  or  the  clothing  of  swans. 
1  See  pp.  120,  123. 

68 


SIEGFRIED'S  LIFE 

well-tilled  fields,  anon  through  desert  tracts 
where  wild  beasts  and  robbers  lay  in  wait  for 
the  solitary  wayfarer.  And  there  did  he  often 
do  dangerous  battle,  and  there  slew  many  a 
giant  and  monster.  His  deeds  were  sung  by 
minstrels  in  hut  and  castle,  so  that  far  and  wide 
his  name  was  known  and  extolled.  In  the  land 
of  the  Nibelungs,1  through  which  his  way  led, 
the  kings  Schilbung  and  Nibelung  summoned 
him  to  their  court,  that  he  might  divide  between 
them  the  great  hoard  which  their  father  Nibe- 
ling  had  left  them.  As  guerdon,  they  gave  him 
the  good  sword  Balmung,2  a  piece  of  dwarf 


1  This  misty,  mythical,  underground  kingdom  can- 
not be  geographically  located.     Of  the  Nibelung  he- 
roes and  their  home,   Carlyle  says:    "Though  they 
march  to  the  Rhine  or  Danube,  and  we  see  their  strong 
limbs  and  shining  armor,  we  could  almost  fancy  them 
to  be  children  of  the  air.     Far  beyond  the  firm  hori- 
zon, that  wonder-bearing  region  swims  on  the  infinite 
waters  unseen  by  bodily  eye,  or,  at  most,  discerned 
as  a  faint  streak,  hanging  in  the  blue  depths,  uncer- 
tain whether  island  or  cloud." 

2  This  name  is  derived  from  the  Gothic  balo  (O.  H. 
Ger.  'balOf  polo;    M.  H.  Ger.  bal),  and  denotes  ruin, 
destruction,  with  evident  reference  to  the  deadly  effect 

69 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

workmanship,  and  tempered  in  dragon  blood. 
It  cut  through  steel  and  stone  without  marring 
its  edge.  Gold  and  precious  stones  sparkled  on 
hilt  and  scabbard,  and  a  rich  band  with  a  glit- 
tering buckle  served  to  attach  it  to  the  girdle. 
The  hero  divided  impartially  the  measureless 
treasure ;  nevertheless  both  the  brothers  were 
discontented,  and  called  him  a  stingy  dog  who 
wanted  to  keep  the  fattest  scraps  for  himself, 
and  bade  their  twelve  giants1  to  seize  him  and 
confine  him  in  the  caverns  of  the  mountain, 
where  their  treasure  lay.  Then  flashed  Bal- 
mung  in  Siegfried's  hand,  felling,  like  a  thunder- 
bolt, again  and  again  a  giant  warrior.  The 
kings,  versed  in  magic,  conjured  up  a  thick 
mist.  A  storm  arose,  and  the  mountains 
trembled  at  the  peals  of  thunder.  All  in  vain  ! 
The  giants  fell  beneath  the  strokes  of  the  terri- 
ble sword — finally  the  two  brothers  also.  And 
now  the  mist  vanished  and  the  sun  poured  its 

of  its  blows.  It  is  said  to  be  of  dwarf  workmanship, 
because  of  the  wonderful  skill  attributed  to  the  smiths 
of  this  race.  Indeed,  other  legends  indicate  that  King 
Nibelung  was  himself  a  dwarf  and  dwelt  in  a  hollow 
mountain. 

1  See  notes  on  pp.  75,  104. 
70 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

rays  upon  the  victorious  knight.  When  the 
Nibelung  folk,  rushing  to  the  scene,  beheld 
such  wonderful  deeds,  they  hailed  him  as  king. 
Meantime,  from  the  depths  of  the  mountain, 
there  arose  an  avenger  of  the  fallen.  It  was 
Alberich,  the  powerful  dwarf.  Well-armed  with 
magic  weapons,  he  attacked  the  bold  knight. 
Now  was  he  visible,  now  invisible,  according 
as  over  his  helm  he  donned  or  doffed  his  magic 
cap.1  After  a  long  struggle,  Siegfried  brought 
him  down  with  a  powerful  blow.  The  weight 
of  the  sword  and  the  strength  of  the  hand  that 
wielded  it  laid  him  low  ;  but  the  blade  did  not 
cut  through  the  magic  armor.  Siegfried  would 
not  deal  a  second  blow  to  kill  the  defenceless 
dwarf,  and  this  magnanimity  made  Alberich  so 


1  The  German  word  Tarnkappe  (from  O.  H.  Ger. 
tarn  j  an,  to  hide),  here  translated  "  magic  cap/'  does 
not  always  denote  a  covering  for  the  head  only.  It 
is  sometimes  a  "  cloak,"  a  "  cloud  hood,"  a  "  mantle," 
and  possesses  the  magic  power  of  rendering  its  wearer 
invisible,  or  confers  great  increase  of  strength.  Some- 
times, as  in  Wagner's  Goiter  dammerung,  it  enables 
its  owner  to  take  any  desired  shape,  or  to  be  trans- 
ported in  an  instant  to  any  spot,  however  distant, 
where  he  may  desire  to  be. 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

submissive  that  he  pledged  his  faith  to  his  con- 
queror, and  broke  it  nevermore. 

And  now  no  more  opponents  arose  against 
the  invincible  hero ;  he  was  king  of  the  Nibe- 
lungs ;  and  the  treasures l  in  the  hollow  moun- 
tain, as  well  as  the  magic  cap  of  Alberich,  be- 
longed to  him  as  captured  booty.  He  was 
amazed,  as  he  entered  the  underground  world, 
at  the  endless  quantity  of  precious  metals  and 
costly  stones  which  were  heaped  up  there.  No 
less  astonished  was  he  at  the  sight  of  the  vigor- 
ous and  active  dwarfs,2  who  all  offered  pledges 
of  loyalty  to  him. 

1  A  rich  hoard  comes  into  the  hero's  possession,  in 
the  Norse  legends  and  in  the  Anglo-Saxon  Beowulf,  by 
his  slaying  a  dragon,  its  guardian;    while  here,  and 
in  other  South  German  versions  of  this  story,  the  slay- 
ing of  the  dragon  and  the  acquisition  of  the  treasure 
form  two  independent  adventures. 

2  The  dwarfs  of  German  mythology  correspond  tol- 
erably to  the  English  gnomes.     They  are  represented 
as  small  of  stature,  ugly  of  countenance,  and  unamia- 
ble  in  disposition;    yet,  with  this  ungracious  portrait, 
earlier  descriptions  do  not  always  coincide,  but  make 
them  sometimes  beautiful  and  benevolent,  often  power- 
ful and  skilful.     The   following  myth  accounts   for 
their  origin: 

72 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

After  having  arranged  for  the  administration 
of  the  government,  and  having  appointed  com- 
petent men  to  office,  the  sovereign  chose  twelve 
noble  knights  for  his  retinue.  The  treasure 
afforded  them  rings,  buckles,  and  chains  of 
silver  and  gold.  The  whole  company  seemed 
like  an  assembly  of  kings  under  the  lead  of  their 
chief,  who  outshone  all  the  others  by  the  nobility 
bestowed  upon  him  by  nature,  as  well  as  in  the 


In  the  golden  age,  when  the  gods  were  innocent  and 
happy,  there  came  to  their  abode  three  women  from 
Jotunheim,  the  home  of  the  giants.  They  were  the 
Noras,  the  goddesses  of  fate,  and  with  their  advent 
began  the  reign  of  time  and  its  evils.  The  lust  for 
gold  then  seized  upon  the  gods,  and,  after  taking 
counsel  together,  they  created  the  dwarfs,  though  from 
pre-existing  germs,  and  condemned  them  to  live  in  the 
caverns  of  the  earth  and  develop  the  treasures  there 
found.  Thus  we  see  that  the  possession  of  accumu- 
lated wealth  by  a  dwarf,  as  of  the  Nibelung  hoard  by 
Alberich,  is  quite  in  consonance  with  the  purpose  for 
which  the  race  was  originally  created. 

Through  the  French  legends,  Simrock,  in  his 
Deutsche  Mythologie,  traces  the  connection  between 
German  and  English  elves,  and  makes  Alberich  the 
equivalent  of  Oberon,  the  king  of  the  fairies  in  the 
Midsummer  Night's  Dream. 

73 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

richness  of  his  attire.  Thus  the  brave  hero  rode 
through  many  a  land,  everywhere  stared  at  by 
multitudes,  cordially  greeted  and  hospitably  re- 
ceived in  cities  and  castles.  The  way  tended 
homeward  to  the  beloved  father's  house.  He 
reached  it  without  further  adventure.  He  em- 
braced father  and  mother,  who  only  by  vague 
report  had  received  tidings  of  his  contests.  And 
now  he  rested  many  a  day.  Often  he  sat  at  the 
feet  of  his  mother,  as  in  the  tender  years  of  his 
boyhood.  Then  when  he  rose  and  stood  before 
her  in  his  warrior's  panoply,  her  heart  swelled 
with  joy  that  she  could  call  such  a  hero,  son. 
Nevertheless,  not  long  cared  he  to  rest ;  his  soul, 
thirsting  for  achievements,  urged  him  forth  into 
the  battle  of  turbulent  life,  where  a  man  proves 
his  strength.  He  would  fain  wend  his  way  to 
Worms  on  the  Rhine,  the  seat  of  the  famous 
Burgundian1  knights.  He  would  challenge 

1  Burgundia,  or  Burgundy,  is  a  country  of  varying 
outline.  At  an  early,  unknown  date,  a  people  called 
Burgundians  seem  to  have  come  from  the  far  East 
and  settled  on  the  shores  of  the  Baltic.  Early  in  the 
fifth  century  they  removed  to  the  territory  between 
the  Rhone  and  the  Alps,  and  there  founded  a  king- 
dom bearing  their  name.  After  many  years  and  many 

74 


SIEGFRIED'S  LIFE 

them  to  a  game  at  arms.  When  he  told  his 
desire  to  his  father,  and  begged  his  permis- 
sion to  go,  a  cloud  gathered  upon  his  parent's 
brow. 

"  My  son,"  he  said,  "  go  not  to  the  Burgun- 
dians.  Among  them  are  found  the  boldest 
knights,  whom  none  have  yet  withstood :  there 
is  the  grim  Hagen,  and  the  strong  Ortewin  of 
Metz,  and  King  Gunther,  together  with  his 
brother  Gernot;  they  all  guard  the  lovely 
maiden  Chriemhild,  whom  already  many  a 
brave  man  has  essayed  to  woo,  and  thereby 
lost  his  life." 

"  Ha  !  what  a  goodly  report  is  this  !"  cried  the 
youth.  "  The  undaunted  knights  shall  yield  me 
their  kingdom,  and,  if  she  pleases  me,  the  lovely 
maid  as  well.  With  my  twelve1  Nibelungs, 
methinks  I  can  enforce  my  will." 

vicissitudes,  the  name  of  this  once  powerful  kingdom 
disappeared  from  the  map  of  Europe,  save  as  applied 
to  the  comparatively  insignificant  French  duchy. 

1  In  legendary  lore,  hero  groups  of  twelve  are  con- 
spicuous, reminding  us  of  the  sevens  in  Oriental  litera- 
ture. Dietrich's  heroes  numbered  twelve,  and  twelve 
were  they  who  defended  the  Rosengarten.  Twelve 
also  were  the  Court  on  the  Rhine.  Twelve  knights 

75 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

The  warnings  of  the  king  and  the  entreaties 
of  the  queen  were  in  vain :  they  were  obliged  to 
yield  to  the  demands  of  their  son. 

sat  at  Arthur's  Round  Table,  and  twelve  kings  were 
slain  by  him  in  one  battle.  An  embassy  of  twelve 
were  sent  wooing  for  King  Rother,  and  twelve  giants 
came  to  their  aid.  Many  such  examples  might  be 
added. 


76 


II 


SIEGFRIED'S   VISIT   TO   THE   BURGUNDIAN 
COURT 

IN  the  land  of  the  Burgundians  there  dwelt 
a  noble  maiden  named  Chriemhild,  the 
daughter  of  the  rich  king  Dankrat  and  his 
sensible  spouse  Dame  Ute,1  who  watched  over 
her  child  with  motherly  care.  The  father,  it  is 
true,  had  years  before  gone  to  his  long  home, 
but  his  three  sons,  Gunther,  Gernot,  and  Gisel- 
her,2 — the  latter  not  yet  a  full-fledged  knight 

1  Pronounce,  as  in  German,  oo-te.      The   form  of 
this  name  found  in  the  MSS.  is  Vote. 

2  Gunther,  Gernot,  and  Giselher  seem  all  to  have 
borne  the  title  of  king,  yet  sovereign  power  was  ap- 
parently the  prerogative  of  Gunther  alone.     The  old 
German  word  for   king  signified  originally  nothing 
more  than  a  man  of  noble  or  royal  parentage. 

A  correspondence  is  traced  by  W.  Miiller  between 
the  Gunther  of  the  Nibelungen  Lied  and  a  Burgun- 
dian  king  of  the  same  name  who,  in  436-7  A.D.,  en- 
gaged in  a  disastrous  war  with  the  Huns.  The 
brothers  of  the  latter  are  named  in  the  Burgundian 

77 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

and  called  "the  child," — held  their  beautiful 
sister  more  precious  than  the  costliest  gem  in 
their  crown.  The  royal  brothers  were  sur- 
rounded by  brave  knights  to  whom  fear  was 
unknown.  At  the  head  of  all  stood  the  grim 
Hagen  of  Tronje,1  ugly  of  countenance  and 
one-eyed,2  but  whom  his  campaigns  in  German 

laws  as  Godomar  and  Gislahari — the  resemblance  of 
the  three  names  to  those  of  the  three  kings  in  the 
Lied  is  rather  too  close  to  be  merely  casual. 

1  Attempts  to  connect  the  legendary  Hagen  with 
any  historical  prototype  have  been  few  and  unsatis- 
factory;   nor  has  the  origin  of  his  patronymic  been 
less  troublesome.    In  various  old  legends  we  find  other 
forms  than  Tronje, — as  Tronya,  Troy  a,  Troyn,  Trong, 
and  Troy.     It  is  generally  referred  to  Tronek,  near 
Treves.     According  to  Lachmann,  the  South  German 
legend  of  the  thirteenth  century  has  derived  this  title 
from  the  original  Troja  through  the  form  Tronege. 
Simrock,  however  (Deutsche  Mythologie,  §  90),  says: 
"  In  Hagen  von  Troje,  the  Troje  signifies  the  lower 
world."     In  keeping  with  this  view,  Hagen,  in  spite 
of  his  stature  and  his  kinship  with  the  royal  family, 
is  said  by  Wagner  to  be  the  son  of  Alberich,  a  dwarf. 
(See  p.  291.> 

2  Dr.  Wagner  makes  Hagen  one-eyed,  in  accordance 
with  the  Wilkina  Saga,  a  Norwegian  legend,  and  the 
Latin  poem  Waltharius,  which  is  a  translation  from 

78 


SIEGFRIED'S  LIFE 

and  foreign  lands  had  made  well-known  and 
feared.  He  was  also  greatly  honored  as  the 
uncle  of  the  kings ;  no  less  so  his  brother,  the 
Marshal  Dankwart.  Then  came  Ortewin  of 
Metz,  the  Margraves  Gere  and  Eckwart,  Ru- 
molt,  steward  of  the  kitchen,  the  faithful  min- 
strel Volker1  of  Alzey,2  the  cupbearer  Sindolt, 
and  the  chamberlain  Hunolt.  These  and  other 
brave  swordsmen  served  the  kings  and  protected 
their  kingdom. 

The  young  Chriemhild  seldom  appeared 
among  the  men.  As  a  tender  little  rose,  scarce 

the  German,  of  which  the  original  has  been  lost.  The 
poet  of  the  Nibelungen  Lied  either  ignored  or  lost 
sight  of  this  feature  of  the  old  saga. 

1  Pronounce  Volker  as  though  spelled  with  an  ini- 
tial Ff  since  v  in  all  German  words  has  the  sound  of 
our  /. 

2  Alzey  (pronounced  al-tsi)  is  an  old  town  of  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,  situated  on  the  Selz,  and  numbering  about 
five  thousand  five  hundred  inhabitants. 

Carlyle,  in  his  essay  upon  the  Nibelungen  Lied, 
refers  to  the  minstrel  as  "  a  certain  Folker  of  Alsace," 
but  the  propriety  of  so  entitling  him  is  not  evident. 
In  the  legends,  his  patronymic  is  always  "  Alzey," 
which  town  seems  to  have  been  a  family  possession. 
(See  note  2,  p.  140.) 

79 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

from  the  bud,  droops  its  head  as  though  ashamed 
of  its  beauty  and  sweet  perfume,  so  the  maiden 
bowed  her  face  abashed  when  the  eyes  of  the 
knights  rested  upon  her.  She  would  then  slip 
hurriedly  away  from  the  social  circle  and  seek 
protection  from  contact  with  strangers  in  the 
solitude  of  her  chamber  or  in  the  garden  under 
the  shady  trees.  Therefore,  too,  she  loved  not 
the  tournament  and  the  wild  chase.  Only  once 
her  brothers  persuaded  her  to  follow  the  blast 
of  the  horn  through  wood  and  grove  upon  a 
gentle  steed ;  but  when  a  deer,  pierced  by  a 
hunter's  spear,  sank  dead  at  her  feet,  she  fled 
timidly  home  and  hunted  no  more.  The  song 
of  the  birds  in  the  garden  pleased  her  more  than 
the  blast  of  the  horns  or  the  music  of  the  min- 
strels in  the  revels.  So  bloomed  the  maiden 
amid  the  tumult  of  the  court,  like  a  lovely 
flower  in  a  quiet,  solitary  valley. 

Once  Mother  Ute  came  early  in  the  morn- 
ing to  her  chamber  and  found  her  disturbed 
and  sad.  She  inquired  into  the  cause  of  her 
distress.  Then  the  maiden  told  her  she  had 
dreamed  that  she  had  raised  a  noble  falcon  and 
learned  to  love  it  dearly ;  but  once,  as  it  was 
on  the  wing,  two  wicked  birds  of  prey,  darting 

80 


, 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

from  a  rift  in  the  rock,  slew  it  before  her 
eyes. 

"  My  child,"  said  the  mother,  gravely,  "  the 
falcon  is  the  noble  hero  to  whom  thou  wilt  some 
day  pledge  thy  troth ;  but  the  birds  of  prey  de- 
note two  murderous  knights  who,  with  wicked 
cunning,  seek  his  life.  May  God  vouchsafe 
thee  His  help  that  thou  mayest  bring  to  naught 
the  murderous  plot." 

"  Mother,"  said  Chriemhild,  "  do  not  talk  to 
me  of  men.  I  dread  to  go  among  them.  If 
there  were  only  no  men  in  the  world,  then  one 
would  hear  nothing  of  quarrels  and  war  and 
bloodshed." 

"  Who  knows  ?"  replied  Mother  Ute,  smiling ; 
"  women  often  shed  more  blood  and  inflict 
deeper  wounds  with  their  tongues  than  men  with 
their  swords.  But  for  thee,  too,  the  hour  will 
come  when  to  some  noble  knight  thou  wilt  give 
thy  hand  in  covenant." 

"  Never  !"  cried  the  maiden.  "  Mother,  thou 
dost  frighten  me  more  than  the  worst  dreams." 

The  two  women  still  talked  a  good  deal  to- 
gether and  then  went  into  the  garden,  where 
Chriemhild  tended  her  flowers  and  fed  her  white 
doves.  Towards  mid-day  there  arose  an  unusual 

6  8l 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

running  hither  and  thither  in  the  palace ;  they 
heard  the  blare  of  horns  and  the  clang  of  horses' 
hoofs.  The  queen  hurried  within  to  inquire 
what  might  be  the  cause  of  the  commotion. 
She  quickly  returned  and  told  her  daughter  that 
stranger  knights  had  arrived ;  that  their  gar- 
ments and  armor  glittered  with  gold  and  precious 
stones,  and  even  their  steeds  were  royally  capari- 
soned. She  bade  the  maiden  follow  her,  that 
with  her  own  eyes  she  might  see  the  gorgeous 
chieftains.  The  invitation  was  in  vain,  for  the 
quiet  garden  seemed  to  the  daughter  pleasanter 
than  the  spectacle  of  knights  in  battle  array. 
Then  Dame  Ute  went  alone  to  the  balcony, 
whence  she  could  see  the  stranger  guests.  King 
Gunther,  too,  who,  with  his  brothers  and  many 
a  valiant  swordsman,  sat  in  the  hall  drinking 
fragrant  wine,  had  received  the  announcement 
of  the  arrival  of  strangers,  and  looked  from  the 
window  as  they  rode  into  the  court  of  the  castle. 
Especially  conspicuous  was  the  leader,  with  a 
crown  on  his  helm1  and  mounted  on  a  snow- 


1  The  early  knights  were  accustomed  to  attach  to 
their  helms  not  only  crests  of  flowing  horsehair  and 
plumes  of  feathers,  but  figures  and  devices  of  various 

82 


SIEGFRIED'S  LIFE 

white  steed.  No  one  recognized  the  new-comers. 
Then  the  king  commanded  to  summon  his  uncle 
Hagen,  for  he  was  acquainted  with  all  lands, 
and  would  surely  be  able  now  to  advise  well. 
Therefore  the  doughty  knight  appeared  and  de- 
clared the  hero  at  the  head  of  the  troop  to  be 
no  other  than  Siegfried  of  the  Netherlands,  who, 
when  only  a  boy,  had  slain  a  hideous  reptile  and 
the  powerful  smith  Mimer ;  then,  grown  to 
manhood,  had,  by  famous  deeds,  possessed  him- 
self of  the  kingdom  of  the  Nibelungs.  He 
further  advised  that  the  king  and  the  other  war- 
riors should  go  to  meet  him  and  receive  him 
with  honor,  for,  could  they  win  him  for  a  friend 
and  ally,  there  would  be  no  occasion  to  fear  any 
hostile  invasion  of  the  lands  of  the  Burgundians. 
The  speech  of  Hagen  appeared  wise  and  salu- 
tary to  Gunther.  With  all  his  knights  he  went 
to  meet  the  stranger  guest,  bade  him  welcome, 
and  offered  him  shelter  in  his  palace.  At  a  sign 
from  him  servants  made  haste  to  relieve  the 

sorts.  It  finally  became  customary  for  individuals, 
or  families,  to  adopt  certain  helm  ornaments  by  which 
they  might  be  distinguished  on  the  field,  and  to  be- 
queath these  from  father  to  son.  Crowns  were  chosen 
by  kings  for  this  purpose. 

83 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

guests  of  weapons  and  steeds ;  but  Siegfried  de- 
clined their  services.  He  came,  he  said,  to  the 
Burgundians,  to  prove  if  they  were  indeed  such 
valiant  warriors  as  on  all  sides  they  were  famed 
to  be.  He  would  stake  the  kingdom  and  the 
treasure  of  the  Nibelungs  as  the  prize  for  the 
victory ;  nor  would  he  demur  at  being  twice  or 
thrice  outnumbered  in  the  contest,  if  the  kings 
on  their  part  would  stake  Burgundia.  To  this 
the  brave  Ortewin  objected,  saying  that  was  in- 
deed an  audacious  speech,  and  that  he  was  ready 
alone  to  win  from  the  stranger  knight  armor  and 
kingdom.  In  like  fashion  other  Burgundian 
heroes  protested.  Instantly  Siegfried  sprang 
into  his  saddle  and  raised  his  powerful  lance. 
But  King  Gunther,  with  friendly  words,  inter- 
posed between  the  belligerent  knights. 

"  Sir  Siegfried,"  said  he,  "  we  desire  from  thee 
nor  fortune  nor  life ;  we  would  receive  thee  as  an 
honored  guest,  and  be  thy  faithful  allies  and  com- 
rades in  so  far  as  thou  wilt  pledge  us  the  like." 

At  the  same  time  he  offered  his  hand,1  and 

1  It  is  said  that  shaking  hands  on  meeting  origi- 
nated in  the  days  of  chivalry,  when  two  friendly 
knights  joined  right  hands  in  sign  of  trust,  thus  ren- 
dering themselves  powerless  to  grasp  their  swords. 

84 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

the  Netherlander  grasped  it,  saying  as  he  did 
so: 

"  God  forbid  that  I  should  say  '  No'  to  that ! 
I  am  your  guest  and  ally,  and  should  ye  some- 
time come  to  me,  no  less  cordially  will  I  bid  ye 
welcome  as  worthy  comrades." 

Thereupon  the  guests  proceeded  with  their 
host  and  his  retainers  into  the  Hall  of  the 
Kings,  where,  with  banquet  and  revel,  they 
cemented  more  firmly  the  bond  of  good-fellow- 
ship. 

The  brave  hero  of  the  Netherlands  was  well 
content  in  this  garden  of  roses  and  grapes  on 
the  Rhine,  and  often  he  went  with  his  Burgun- 
dian  comrades,  now  for  pleasure,  now  to  hunt, 
up  and  down  the  river,  over  the  blue-tinted 
mountains,  and  into  the  castles  on  the  bluffs, 
and  emptied  many  a  beaker  of  noble  Rhine- 
wine. 

Tilting  and  tournament  pleased  him,  for  he 
was  always  victor.  But  he  carried  one  wish  in 
his  secret  soul  of  which  he  uttered  no  syllable. 
He  longed,  namely,  to  see  the  lovely  Chriem- 
hild  once  face  to  face,  but  this  felicity  was  not 
granted  him.  He  heard  of  the  princess'  charms, 
her  virtues,  her  gentle  spirit,  and  that  but  in- 

85 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

creased  his  desire  for  that  which  was  denied 
him. 

The  maiden,  too,  heard  much  of  the  stranger 
guest,  of  the  splendor  of  his  apparel,  of  his  hero's 
mien,  and  even  his  words  were  reported  to  her. 
That  waked  her  woman's  curiosity.  Timidly 
she  ventured  once,  when  the  knights  were  joust- 
ing before  the  palace,  to  peep  from  behind  the 
slightly  opened  window  shutter.  There  she 
caught  sight  of  the  hero  outshining  the  other 
knights  as  the  moon  in  the  heavens  outshines 
the  stars.  He  seemed  to  her  to  be  comparable 
to  Balder,1  the  god  of  light,  of  whose  beauty 
and  magnificence  the  fathers  had  had  so  much 
to  relate.  And  now  his  flashing  eyes  looked 
upward.  Had  he  perhaps  caught  sight  of  her  ? 
She  fled  affrighted  from  the  window.  But,  no, 
he  either  had  not  seen  the  timid  maiden  or 
paid  no  attention  to  her,  for  the  tilting  con- 
tinued. 

She  returned  to  her  screened  window,  and 
saw  now  how  he  deftly  shot  his  spear  so  that 
it  pierced  a  thick  oaken  beam,  while  the  other 
spears  recoiled  without  effect,  or  scarcely  with 


1  See  note  2,  p.  181, 
86 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

the  extreme  point  penetrated  the  hard  wood. 
She  saw  him  in  wrestling,  without  effort  and 
smiling,  floor  two  or  three  combatants.  Even 
the  powerful  Hagen  himself  in  vain  exerted  all 
his  strength  to  overcome  the  invincible  man. 
He,  too,  at  last,  fire-red  in  the  face  from  his 
effort  and  completely  exhausted,  was  compelled 
to  sink  in  the  dust. 

"  Ah,  valiant  knight,"  cried  the  victor,  "  thou 
hast  cost  me  more  labor  than  the  kings  of  the 
Nibelungs  with  their  dwarfs  and  giants.  But, 
look  there,  good  comrade,  for  thy  pains  let  me 
offer  thee  this  heavy  gold  ring,  that,  bye  and 
bye,  when  I  return  to  my  home,  thou  mayst 
hold  me  in  kindly  remembrance." 

"  Burgundians  are  rich  enough ;  they  need 
not  thy  gifts  of  gold,"  answered  Hagen,  surlily, 
with  a  sidelong  glance  at  the  donor,  and  went 
his  way. 

Chriemhild  was  seriously  minded  to  be  angry 
with  her  uncle  for  his  insolent  reply ;  but  still 
more  was  she  occupied  by  the  thought  that  the 
hero  was  about  to  return  home.  She  wished 
that  he  would  stay  right  along  in  Worms — nor 
go  away  at  all.  From  this  time  she  always 
stood  at  the  screened  window  when  the  knights 

87 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

held  their  tournaments,1  and  Siegfried's  form 
and  features  and  all  his  motions  were  soon  so 
vividly  present  to  her  eyes  that  they  were  even 
to  be  recognized  in  the  designs  of  her  needle- 
work. 

A  communication  from  the  kingdoms  of  the 
Saxons  and  Danes  interrupted  the  merrymakings 
at  the  court  of  Worms.  The  kings  Liidegast 
and  Liideger  sent  a  menace  of  war.  They 
threatened  to  invade  Burgundia  with  a  great 
force  of  warriors,  if  tribute  were  not  paid  them 
as  aforetime.  In  case  of  refusal  they  purposed 
without  delay  to  collect  the  tax  in  Worms  and 
lay  waste  castles  and  towns.  The  king  com- 
manded that  the  bearers  of  the  message  should 

1  The  martial  games  and  exercises  of  the  German 
heroic  age,  though  often  called  tournaments,  are  to 
be  distinguished  from  those  gorgeous  pageants  of  the 
Middle  Ages,  more  properly  known  by  this  name.  The 
earlier  games  were  more  varied  in  character,  less  splen- 
did in  their  appointments,  governed  by  laws  and  cere- 
monies less  strict,  and  were  not  exclusively  eques- 
trian. The  tournament  proper  is  of  French  origin, 
and,  in  its  fully  developed  form,  can  hardly  be  traced 
in  Germany  to  a  date  earlier  than  the  twelfth  cen- 
tury. 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

be  hospitably  entertained,  as  was  ever  the  cus- 
tom. Then  he  took  counsel  with  his  men  as 
to  what  should  be  done.  It  was  known  how 
great  was  the  might  of  the  hostile  chiefs,  how 
ferocious  their  spirit,  and  how  barbarous  their 
warriors.  In  so  short  a  respite  a  force  could 
not  be  raised  sufficient  to  meet  the  coming 
storm.  So  it  came  to  pass  that  no  decision 
could  be  reached.  King  Gunther,  oppressed 
with  care,  strode  through  his  well-tilled  fields, 
which,  perhaps,  would  soon  be  an  abiding-place 
for  wolves.  There  he  found  Siegfried,  his  bird 
on  his  hand,  just  returned  from  hawking.  At 
the  question  as  to  what  might  be  troubling  him, 
Gunther  gave  Siegfried  an  account  of  the  un- 
welcome embassy  and  the  threatened  devastation. 
"Ah,  King  Gunther,"  cried  the  dauntless 
knight,  "  hast  thou  not  friends,  and  those  who 
have  eaten  thy  bread,  ever  equipped  for  war? 
Am  I  not  myself  thy  faithful  comrade  ?  And 
if  we  have  but  a  thousand  valiant  men  under 
arms  we  can  surely  defend  ourselves  against  the 
ravening  wolves.  Be  of  good  heart,  and  say  to 
the  messengers  that  we  will  spare  their  lords  the 
long  journey  to  Worms  and  be  their  guests  in 
their  own  country." 

89 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

At  this  the  king  was  glad,  and  did  as  his 
worthy  guest  had  advised. 

The  blast  of  the  war-horn  was  heard  through-, 
out  Burgundia.  The  soldiery  gathered  in 
throngs.  The  knights  prepared  their  battle- 
gear,  spears,  lances,  swords.  There,  in  bright 
coats  of  mail,  stood  Hagen,  Dankwart,  Volker, 
Ortewin,  Sindolt,  Hunolt,  and  the  warlike 
Rumolt,  also  King  Gernot  with  his  retainers, 
and  many  of  the  folk  and  menials,  in  all  several 
thousands ;  but  brilliantly  conspicuous  among 
them  was  the  Nibelung  hero  with  his  twelve 
knights.  Without  tarrying  for  further  aid,  the 
little  army  took  the  field,  crossing  the  Rhine 
and  hurrying  on  to  Saxonland,  where  many  a 
castle  was  breached  and  many  a  farm  laid  waste, 
before  the  powerful  forces  of  the  hostile  chiefs 
could  check  them.  When  the  spies  reported 
that  fully  forty  thousand  Saxons  and  Danes 
were  approaching,  a  position  was  taken  and  the 
grim  Hagen  as  chief  marshal  arranged  his 
forces.  Meanwhile  the  bold  Siegfried  rode 
towards  a  lookout  from  which  a  Danish  knight 
in  glittering  armor  was  observing  the  camp  of 
the  Burgundians.  He  was  immediately  attacked 

by  the  knight,  and  the  charge  of  both  was  so 

90 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

powerful  that  their  lances  were  shivered  and 
their  steeds  thrown  upon  their  haunches. 

The  brave  knights  never  reeled  in  their  sad- 
dles ;  but,  as  the  fighting  with  swords  began, 
the  Dane  could  no  longer  hold  his  own.  The 
terrible  Balmung  smote  through  shield  and 
helm  and  coat  of  mail,  and  the  knight  sank 
bleeding  to  the  ground.  Siegfried  leaped  from 
his  charger  to  give  him  the  death  blow,  when 
the  knight  cried  out  that  he  was  King  Llidegast, 
and  would  redeem  his  head  with  gold.  Mean- 
time a  great  number  of  his  retainers  came  rush- 
ing up  to  bring  succor  to  their  fallen  king. 
The  hero  of  the  Netherlands  defended  himself 
against  them.  Steed  and  rider  sank  beneath  the 
fury  of  his  blows. 

"  That  is  the  wicked  devil  !"  cried  the  sur- 
viving men,  and  they  sought  their  safety  in 
flight. 

Siegfried  came  into  camp  with  his  prisoner, 
where  he  gave  him  over  to  the  soldiery  to  be 
nursed  and  guarded.  There  was,  moreover,  no 
time  remaining  in  which  to  question  the  knight, 
for  the  hostile  forces  were  approaching.  Their 
hosts  extended  beyond  the  range  of  vision. 
Scarcely  had  the  chief  marshal  succeeded  in 

91 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

bringing  the  Burgundian  knights  into  position, 
when  the  attack  began. 

Cruel  spears,  stone  hammers,1  lances,  flew 
hither  and  thither;  shields  and  lances  brake; 
blood  flowed  in  streams ;  battle-axes  and  swords 
dealt  mortal  blows.  But,  however  desperately 
the  weak  army  of  the  Burgundians  contended 
for  the  glory  of  victory,  yet  the  outnumbering 
enemy  bore  down  upon  them  ever  more  power- 
fully. Then  the  Nibelung  hero  cut  a  path  for 
himself;  with  overpowering  force  he  brake 
through  the  hostile  ranks.  Shattered  shields, 
helmets,  coats  of  mail,  and  corpses  marked  the 
bloody  way  that  he  opened  for  himself.  To- 
wards him  the  fierce  King  Llideger,  surrounded 
by  his  retainers,  turned  his  war  horse.  Siegfried 
tried  to  reach  him,  but  ever  more  boldly  the 
dauntless  Saxons  crowded  upon  him.  His 
shield  was  shattered,  his  steed  sank  under  him, 
and  still  he  stood  unshaken  as  a  rock  in  the  sea 


1  "  All  the  northern  nations  made  occasional  use  of 
the  dart,  the  sling,  the  club  with  points,  the  lance,  and 
the  dagger;  but  their  more  peculiar  weapon  was  the 
hammer  of  stone." — Meyrick's  Critical  Inquiry  into 
Ancient  Armor  in  Europe. 

92 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

against  which  the  foaming  waves  break.  The 
grim  Hagen  first  worked  his  way  through  the 
hostile  throng;  then,  too,  Volker,  Sindolt, 
Hunolt ;  and  while  they  covered  his  rear,  Sieg- 
fried pressed  forward  against  the  Saxon  king. 
The  whole  fury  of  the  battle  concentrated  itself 
about  him,  but  in  vain ;  already  he  stood  before 
Liideger  and  brandished  his  sword.  Then  the 
king  cried : 

"  Ha,  Siegfried  of  Netherland,  the  devil  hath 
led  thee  here  !  I  must  be  thy  prisoner  !" 

The  battle  was  over.  Horses  and  armor, 
many  prisoners,  and  the  camp  of  the  enemy 
with  rich  treasures,  were  the  booty  of  the  vic- 
tors. At  once  they  turned  homeward  towards 
the  Rhine.  In  gala  array  they  marched  into 
Worms,  where  they  were  received  with  great 
jubilee.  Through  all  the  land  were  their  deeds 
extolled,  but  Siegfried's  name  went  from  mouth 
to  mouth,  and  the  singers  sang  his  praise,  and 
the  women  told  their  children  of  the  wonderful 
hero  from  the  Netherlands.  King  Gunther  or- 
dered a  great  triumphal  festival  to  be  celebrated, 
but  not  till  some  weeks  later,  so  that  the  wounded 
warriors — as  many  as  had  up  to  that  time  recov- 
ered— might  participate.  It  was  done  accord- 

93 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

ing  to  the  king's  command,  and  he  also  had 
rich  gifts  distributed  among  the  brave  warriors, 
since  all  had  not  secured  for  themselves  a  share 
of  the  booty.  Likewise  negotiations  were  en- 
tered into  with  Liideger  and  Liidegast,  the  latter 
having  recovered  from  his  wounds.  They 
offered  a  large  sum  as  ransom.  But,  as  many 
declared  that  a  king's  head  might  well  be 
ransomed  at  a  higher  price,  Siegfried  cried : 

"  A  king's  head  may  be  nor  bought  nor  ran- 
somed for  gold,  silver,  or  precious  stones ;  yet 
in  chivalry  it  may  well  be  won  by  a  noble  deed. 
Let  the  captive  kings  go  free  and  unharmed,  if 
they  promise  help  to  the  Burgundians  in  the 
perils  of  war." 

When  the  days  of  rejoicing  were  over,  the 
guests,  richly  favored  with  gifts,  took  their  leave, 
and  the  Nibelung  hero,  too,  proposed  returning 
home.  But,  upon  Ortewin's  advice,  the  king 
begged  him  to  tarry,  because  the  women  also 
desired  to  express  to  him  their  thanks.  Gun- 
ther,  therefore,  summoned  them  for  the  follow- 
ing day  to  the  king's  court.  His  sister  Chriem- 
hild  especially,  he  said  to  Siegfried,  would  reward 
the  services  he  had  rendered  with  a  pressure  of 
the  hand,  since  one  might  not  offer  him  gold. 

94 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

Joy  flashed  like  a  ray  of  light  over  the  face  of 
the  hero  as  he  said : 

"  Then,  certainly  I  will  remain  your  guest  for 
a  time." 

When  the  king  went  to  the  women  to  inform 
them  what  he  had  promised,  he  feared  opposition 
on  the  part  of  his  sister.  Instead,  although  in- 
deed she  blushed,  she  complied  with  his  wish. 
At  the  appointed  hour,  most  richly  attired,  she 
appeared  with  Dame  Ute  in  the  festive  hall, 
where  the  knights  were  assembled  ;  which,  in  the 
Nibelungen  Lied,  is  expressed  as  follows : 


"  And  now  approached  the  fair  one,         e'en  as  the 

morning  glow 
From  out  the  veiling  cloudland.         There  parted 

from  his  woe 
He  who  in  pain  had  borne  it         for  many  a  day 

and  night. 
Grief  fled  the  heart  of  all  those         who  gazed  upon 

this  sight. 


There  gleamed  from  her  corselet         gems,  many, 

rich  and  rare; 
Upon  her  cheek  the  rose  flush         was  to  the  eye 

most  fair. 

95 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

And  whoso  saw  her  standing,         he  must  confess, 

I  ween, 
That  in  the  world  he  ne'er  had         more  wondrous 

beauty  seen. 


The  hero  thought  within  him:         '  What  folly  doth 

this  seem, 
That   I   should  woo   and  win  thee!         it  was   an 

idle  dream. 
Yet,  must  I   ever  leave  thee,         ah!    better  were 

I  dead!' 
And,  at  the  thought,  his  cheek  paled,  and 

flushed  again  to  red. 


And  when  the  haughty  knight  stood         before  the 

lovely  maid, 
A  ruddy  flame  his  cheek  dyed;         but  then  the 

maiden  said: 
'  Be  welcome,  royal  Siegfried,         knight  ever  brave 

and  true.' 
Whereat   he    felt   his    spirit         and    courage    rise 

anew. 


He  bowed  himself  before  her:         in  hers  she  took 

his  hand, 
As  he  with  knightly  grace  did         before  the  damsel 

stand. 

96 


FAC-SIMILE    FROM    AN    OLD    MANUSCRIPT    OF   THE    LIED 

To  show  the  form  of  the  verse  in  the  Nibelungen  Lied,  as  well  as  the 
style  of  the  manuscript  in  the  thirteenth  century,  a  few  lines  are  here 
given  in  fac-simile  from  one  of  the  oldest  manuscripts  of  the  Lied  in 
existence,  viz.,  the  "  Hohenems-Miinchenen  Manuscript,"  preserved 
in  the  Royal  Library  of  Munich  since  A.D.  1810.  This  MS.  dates 
from  the  second  half  of  the  thirteenth  century,  and  only  one  MS.  of 
the  Lied  is  older,  that  being  commonly  supposed  to  date  from  ' '  the 
first  half  of  the  thirteenth  century." 


SIEGFRIED'S  LIFE 

With  tender  gaze,  they  looked  then         into  each 

other's  eyes, 
The  knight  and  too  the  maiden —         'twas   done 

in  seemly  wise." 

The  greeting,  the  pressure  of  the  hand,  the 
lover-look  from  eye  to  eye, — these  were  the 
tokens  that  two  noble  human  hearts  had  found 
each  other,  that  they  had  entered  into  covenant 
with  each  other  for  life  and  death.  And  no  one 
in  the  brilliant  assembly  perceived  the  secret 
save  Dame  Ute,  to  whom  it  gave  great  joy  ;  for 
she  loved  the  two  like  a  mother.  She  con- 
trived also  that,  at  the  banquet,  the  hero  should 
have  a  seat  beside  her  whom  he  long  had  car- 
ried in  his  heart ;  that  afterwards  also,  when  the 

1  These  stanzas  approximate  the  form  of  the  origi- 
nal passage  in  the  Nibelungen  Lied,  the  prevailing 
verse  of  the  Lied  being  hexameter,  and  the  rhymes 
falling  in  pairs.  A  seventh  foot  in  each  fourth  line 
completes  the  normal  Nibelungen  strophe.  This  fea- 
ture and  the  others  mentioned  were  often  sacrificed, 
perhaps  to  favor  the  peculiar  demands  of  epic  poetry. 
Many  editions  of  the  Lied  mark  the  caesural  pause, 
as  here,  by  leaving  a  space  in  the  middle  of  the  line, 
or  sometimes  by  breaking  the  line  into  two  parts,  as 
in  Volker's  short  song  on  p.  140. 
7  97 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

drinking  bout  began,  he  should  take  a  pleasure 
stroll  with  her  in  the  garden,  and  look  at  her 
flowers,  whose  names  and  significance  she  ex- 
plained in  words  freighted  with  meaning.  She 
said: 

"  A  soul  is  in  the  flowers,         and  oft  it  speaks  to  me, 
And  tells  me  of  a  heaven         that  mortal  eyes  may 
see." 

He  answered : 

"  In  love  is  found  that  heaven,         in  love's  sweet  joy 

and  pain. 
It  dies  in  true  hearts  never :         eternal  is  its  reign." 

In  blissful  mood  Siegfried  sought  his  couch, 
and  that  night  had  happy  dreams.  Early  in  the 
morning  he  rode  out  into  the  forest  to  hunt; 
but  his  thoughts  were  in  the  king's  palace  with 
the  wondrous  maiden.  He  allowed  stag  and 
deer  to  pass  him  in  peace  without  making  use 
of  his  weapons.  In  the  afternoon,  returning 
without  prey,  he  found  the  castle  and  town  in  a 
great  disturbance.  Knights  and  tenants,  vassals 
and  folk,  screamed  and  ran  about  confusedly. 
On  the  terrace  stood  Dame  Ute,  weeping  and 

wringing   her  hands.      No   one   explained   to 

98 


SIEGFRIED'S  LIFE 

Siegfried.  He  heard  detached,  incomprehen- 
sible exclamations  that  filled  him  with  too  sore 
anxiety — 

"  He  came  from  thence  !" 

"  He  has  flown  to  the  wild  mountain  !" 

"  Whither  can  he  have  carried  her*?" 

"  Ah  !  the  sweet  princess  !" 

None  gave  answer  to  the  hero  until  he  came 
to  Hagen,  who,  silent  and  gloomy,  tarried  alone 
in  the  great  hall. 


99 


Ill 


CHRIEMHILD'S    RESCUE   FROM   THE 
DRAGON 

QIEGFRIED  went  up  to  Hagen  and  asked 
k-J  what  had  occurred.     He  gave  answer: 

"  Ah !  these  are  evil  tidings ;  but  that  which 
is  must  be.  As  they  said  in  our  fathers'  time, 
what  the  Norns l  have  ordained,  that  is  ever  for 

1  The  Norns  were  the  three  goddesses  of  fate,  Urd, 
Verdandi,  and  Skuld,  presiding  respectively  over  the 
past,  the  present,  and  the  future.  To  their  decrees  even 
the  inhabitants  of  Valhalla  were  subject.  They  were 
older  than  the  gods  themselves,  and  in  the  beginning 
had  their  abode  among  the  most  ancient  race  of  giants. 
Afterwards  they  came  to  dwell  by  the  holy  spring, 
Urdar,  past  which,  towards  Midgard,  the  home  of  man, 
extended  one  of  the  roots  of  the  great  ash,  Ygdrasil, 
the  tree  of  life,  which  they  faithfully  watered,  thus 
preserving  the  world.  To  the  spring  the  gods  came 
daily  to  hold  council,  travelling  over  a  rainbow  bridge. 
The  Norns  spun  and  wove  their  webs  of  fate,  and 
cast  its  threads,  or  strands,  as  they  are  called,  far  and 
wide.  A  frequent,  though  less  exact,  use  of  the  word 
100 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

the  best.  See,  Siegfried,  we  were  jousting,  when 
there  arose  a  whistling  and  roaring  in  the  air  like 
that  of  a  thunderstorm ;  the  sun  withheld  his 
light,  as  if  he  were  strangled  by  the  wolf  Skoll.1 
The  horror  was  a  winged  dragon  to  which  hell 
never  spawned  a  mate.  He  swept  over  us  and 
away.  We  hurled  javelins  at  him,  but  they 
rebounded  like  reeds  from  his  horny  scales. 
We  heard  a  loud  shriek,  and  saw  how  the  mon- 
ster had  seized  in  the  garden  the  lovely  Chriem- 
hild,  whom  he  was  carrying  with  him  through 
the  air,  ever  farther  and  farther  heavenward,  until 
he  disappeared  from  our  sight." 

"  Norns"  includes  women  who  prophesy  and  exercise 
magic.  Jacob  Grimm  finds  in  the  "  Weird  Sisters" 
of  Shakespeare's  Macbeth  an  echo  of  the  tradition  of 
the  Norns, — "  weird"  being  derived  from  "  Wurdh," 
another  form  of  "  Urd/'  the  name  of  the  oldest  Norn. 
1  In  the  Younger  Edda  it  is  related  that  the  sun  is 
tormented  by  two  wolves,  one,  Hati,  running  in  ad- 
vance, the  other,  Skoll,  chasing  behind  the  glorious 
orb,  which  hastens  its  pace  through  the  sky,  in  fear 
of  being  overtaken  and  devoured.  The  wolf  in  ad- 
vance is  really  in  pursuit  of  the  moon,  which  it  is 
prophesied  he  will  capture.  The  mother  of  Hati  and 
Skoll  is  a  giantess,  all  of  whose  numerous  progeny 
have  the  form  of  wolves. 

101 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

"And  did  you  not  give  chase?"  cried  the 
Nibelung  hero.  "  Wretched  cowards !  Chil- 
dren !  Away  to  the  nursery  under  the  rod  of 
the  master !" 

"Thou  art  mad  indeed,  young  friend,"  said 
Hagen,  unmoved.  "  Art  thou  a  griffin  or  a  bat, 
that  thou  canst  give  chase  through  wind  and 
cloud?" 

"  I'll  seek  him  out,  the  monster,  the  whole 
world  through,  and  in  hell  itself,  if  there  he  has 
his  nest.  In  my  chase  I  will  find  the  maiden — 
or  death." 

He  hurried  away,  mounted  his  stallion,  and 
rode  forth  by  unknown  ways,  he  wist  not 
whither.  A  ferryman  transported  the  dauntless 
hero  over  the  Rhine.  The  man  was  in  despond- 
ent mood,  for  he  too  was  grieved  by  the  fate  of 
the  maiden  whom  the  dragon  had  seized,  and, 
as  he  said,  carried  off  over  the  river  far  into  the 
wild  Oden  Forest,1  to  the  Dragon-Rock.  He 


1  This  forest  still  exists  and  bears  the  same  name 
as  that  given  in  the  Nibelungen  Lied,  although  it  may 
now  be  more  limited  in  extent.  It  lies  between  Darm- 
stadt and  Heidelberg,  and  is  about  forty  miles  long 

by  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  broad. 

102 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

could  give  no  further  information  in  reply  to 
the  hero's  questions ;  but  the  latter  had  at  least 
learned  the  direction  towards  which  he  must 
turn  his  steps. 

So  he  roamed  through  the  inhospitable  moun- 
tains, sought  and  found  shelter  and  food  among 
kindly  people,  but  no  tidings  of  the  Dragon- 
Rock.  He  came  at  last  into  a  gloomy  pine 
forest,  where  was  to  be  found  no  road,  nor  path, 
nor  house  where  he  could  lodge.  On  account 
of  the  obstructing  branches,  he  was  obliged  to 
lead  his  horse  by  the  bridle.  As  night  came  on, 
he  threw  himself  exhausted  under  a  tree,  and 
allowed  the  horse  to  graze.  At  midnight  he 
heard  the  sound  of  hoofs  and  saw  a  shimmer  of 
light,  which  advanced  towards  him.  He  soon 
perceived  a  dwarf,  who,  on  a  spirited  horse,  rode 
through  the  pines.  Upon  his  head  he  wore  a 
golden  crown  surmounted  by  a  glittering  car- 
buncle. The  hero  accosted  the  dwarf  to  inquire 
about  the  way. 

"  It  is  well  that  we  have  met,"  said  the  little 
man.  "  I  am  the  dwarf-king,  Eugel,  and  live 
with  my  brothers  and  thousands  of  subject 
dwarfs  here  in  the  caves  of  the  mountains.  But 
thou  art  Siegfried  of  Netherland,  whom  I  have 

103 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

often  seen  when  with  my  magic  cap  I  wandered 
invisibly  among  men.  Now  I  will  show  thee 
the  way  out  of  this  wilderness  of  pines,  for  thou 
wouldst  never  find  it,  but  rather  a  grave  there 
on  the  Dragon-Rock,  where  the  invincible  giant,1 
Kuperan,  and  the  horrid  dragon  dwell. ); 

When  Siegfried  heard  this,  he  shouted  for  joy, 
so  that  the  woods  rang. 

"  Thou  shalt  receive  a  rich  guerdon,  the  whole 
Nibelung  treasure,  noble  dwarf-king,"  cried  he, 
"  if  thou  wilt  guide  me  to  the  Dragon-Rock." 

"  That  will  never  be,  good  hero,"  answered 
Eugel ;  "  it  would  be  to  thy  harm ;  for  thou 
wouldst  at  once  be  felled  by  the  iron  rod  of  the 
giant  or  devoured  by  the  monster." 

1  In  Teutonic  mythology,  giants  as  a  race  are  older 
than  the  gods.  Their  remotest  ancestor  was  Ymir,  a 
mystical  being  in  human  form,  personating  the  ele- 
ments and  forces  of  nature,  as  yet  undefined  and  in- 
separable. The  gods  also  owed  their  origin  to  Ymir; 
but  they  represented  warmth  and  light  and  beauty, 
while  the  giants  were  the  personification  of  the  sterner, 
darker  powers  of  nature.  The  latter  were  the  implac- 
able enemies  of  the  gods  and  the  cause  of  the  catas- 
trophe which  overtook  them.  Both  these  races  are 
found  in  occasional  communication  with  each  other,  as 
also  with  dwarfs  and  men. 

104 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

"  Ha,  lying  dwarf!"  cried  the  hero  ;  "  if  thou 
wilt  not  direct  me  to  the  rock,  thou  shalt  die  by 
my  hand." 

Already  he  had  seized  the  little  wight  with  a 
firm  grasp,  and  shook  him  so  that  the  crown  fell 
from  his  head.  Eugel,  full  of  terror,  promised 
to  obey  the  powerful  man,  and,  replacing  the 
crown  upon  his  head,  rode  in  advance  through 
the  sombre  pines.  The  morning  was  already 
breaking  when  they  reached  the  object  of  their 
search. 

"  Knock  there  at  the  fast  portal  of  that  rock," 
said  the  wee  king,  "  for  there  Kuperan  dwells. 
Art  thou  a  hero  so  powerful  that  thou  shouldst 
subdue  the  unconquerable  giant,  then  will  I, 
with  all  my  companions,  place  myself  at  thy 
service  ;  for  the  grim  Long  Legs  lords  it  over  us, 
and  has  forced  us  to  hard  labor." 

When  he  had  spoken  thus,  he  donned  his 
magic  cap  and  was  lost  to  sight.  Siegfried 
knocked  at  the  portal,  at  first  gently,  then  ever 
louder  and  louder  until  the  mountain  rang, 
while  he  shouted : 

"  Open,  noble  Kuperan  !  Give  me  the  keys 
to  the  Dragon-Rock  !" 

The  door  suddenly  flew  open,  and  the  giant 
105 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

almost  ran  over  the  hero,  as,  in  angry  mood,  he 
rushed  out.  He  carried  a  staff  that  fairly  over- 
topped the  trees,  and  at  every  stroke  rang  like 
a  tocsin. 

"  Ho,  chit !  why  dost  thou  wake  me  out  of 
my  morning  nap  *?" 

With  these  words,  he  aimed  a  blow  at  the 
knight,  which,  had  it  not  missed,  would  have 
crushed  him.  The  good  knight  sprang  to  one 
side,  and  the  staff,  whose  edges  cut  like  a  razor, 
cleft  a  tree  to  the  roots.  The  giant  labored  on 
until  trees  and  rocks  tumbled  about;  but  his 
dexterous  antagonist  he  could  not  touch.  Then 
he  dealt  a  blow  with  both  hands,  and  his  fearful 
weapon  sank  three  fathoms  deep  in  the  ground. 
As  he  stooped  to  pull  it  out,  the  hero,  with  one 
leap,  was  near  enough  to  reach  him  with  his 
sword.  Bleeding  from  three  wounds  and  loudly 
bellowing,  the  giant  rushed  into  his  cave  and 
shut  the  door  behind  him.  The  bold  knight 
rattled  and  thundered  at  the  iron  gate,  but  it  was 
fast  as  if  by  magic.  Now  he  attempted  with  his 
good  sword  to  force  an  opening,  and  soon  there 
were  holes  and  cracks.  He  spied  into  the  in- 
terior, and  saw  how  the  giant  was  binding  up 
his  wounds  and  arming  himself;  how  his  helm 

106 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

and  his  coat  of  mail  shone  like  the  sun  when  it 
mirrors  itself  in  the  sea.  Now  the  indomitable 
Kuperan  came  out  and  began  the  fight  anew, 
and  with  greater  caution,  but  not  more  success- 
fully; for  he  had  to  do  with  the  most  adroit 
adversary. 

"  Ha,  thou  morsel  of  a  man !"  cried  he, 
redoubling  his  blows ;  "  here  must  thou  lose 
thy  life !" 

Nevertheless,  Siegfried  inflicted  upon  him 
several  wounds,  and  finally  felled  him  to  the 
ground.  He  begged  for  his  life,  promising  that 
he  would  be  a  faithful  friend  and  ally  against 
the  dragon,  whom,  without  his  help,  Siegfried 
could  not  withstand.  Upon  this  assurance  the 
dauntless  knight  gave  him  his  hand  in  recon- 
ciliation, bound  up  his  wounds,  and  pledged 
him,  in  turn,  faithful  fellowship.  As,  however, 
he  was  going  in  advance  into  the  cell,  the 
treacherous  giant  dealt  him  a  blow  from  behind 
on  the  helm,  so  that  he  fell  senseless  to  the 
ground.  Now,  the  dwarf,  Eugel,  was  in  the 
vicinity,  unseen,  and  concealed  Siegfried  with 
his  magic  cap.  While  the  indomitable  giant, 
believing  that  he  had  escaped  by  magic,  was 

groping  around  for  him  outside,  Siegfried  re- 

107 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

gained  his  strength,  sprang  up,  tore  off  the  cap, 
and,  as  the  giant  came  storming  up,  felled  him 
with  the  first  blow.  Once  more  he  pardoned 
the  traitor,  but  compelled  him,  however,  to  walk 
in  advance. 

At  the  entrance  to  the  Dragon-Rock  the 
faithless  Kuperan  sought  again  to  murder  the 
brave  man ;  and  now  the  knight  would  have 
spared  him  no  longer  had  he  not  stood  in  need 
of  his  help  to  reach  the  maiden.  The  giant 
immediately  fetched  the  keys  hidden  in  a  cleft 
of  the  rock,  opened  the  portal,  and  led  the  hero 
through  various  corridors  into  a  high,  dome-like 
vault,  in  which  a  pleasant  twilight  reigned. 
Siegfried  glanced  about  him,  and  there,  pale 
and  in  bitter  distress,  sat  she  whom  he  sought, 
for  whom  he  was  ready  to  encounter  battle  and 
death — the  royal  maiden  Chriemhild — beautiful 
as  in  her  happy  days,  so  now  in  her  pain.  He 
called  her  by  name,  hastened  to  her,  ventured  to 
clasp  her  in  his  arms.  He  felt  that  she  returned 
his  kiss,  and  this  feeling  gave  him  courage  and 
strength  to  enter  into  combat  with  hell  itself. 
But  Chriemhild  continued  to  weep ;  she  im- 
plored him  to  fly  with  all  speed,  for  the  fiendish 
dragon  was  wont  to  come  at  this  hour.  Sieg- 

108 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

fried,  on  the  contrary,  desired  nothing  better 
than  to  hew  the  monster  in  pieces,  that  the 
precious  maiden  might  not  again  be  seized  and 
carried  away.  Then  the  giant  said  that  above, 
on  the  Dragon-Rock,  there  was  a  sword  hidden, 
whose  blade  would  cut  through  even  the  horny 
scales  of  the  dragon.  Following  the  giant,  the 
intrepid  knight,  with  the  maiden,  climbed  up  to 
the  height.  There,  on  the  edge  of  the  abrupt 
precipice,  he  perceived  the  hilt  of  a  sword.  As, 
however,  he  stooped  for  it,  the  treacherous  fiend 
grasped  him  with  intent  to  pitch  him  down.  A 
frightful  struggle  began,  but  the  wounds  of  the 
giant  broke  open  afresh,  his  blood  streamed, 
his  strength  failed,  and  the  knight  plunged  him 
headlong  into  the  abyss.  A  loud,  merry  laugh 
was  heard,  and  the  victor  saw  the  faithful  King 
Eugel,  who  then  expressed  his  gratitude  because 
Siegfried  had  freed  the  dwarfs  from  a  cruel 
master.  Immediately,  at  a  sign  from  the  dwarf, 
a  number  of  little  men  appeared  with  food  and 
wine,  that  the  valiant  knight  might  refresh  him- 
self after  his  hard  fight.  And  he  was,  indeed, 
in  need  of  such  cheer,  which  he  had  lacked  for 
two  days;  and  the  food  which  the  maiden 

spread  before  him  and  the  beakers  which  she 

109 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

offered  him  tasted  better  to  him  than  all  the 
viands  of  the  royal  tables. 

A  whizzing  and  whistling  in  the  air,  like  a 
thunderstorm,  through  which  was  heard  a 
hideous  howl,  startled  the  hero  and  the  maiden, 
as  well  as  the  dwarfs,  from  their  security.  The 
latter  fled  to  their  hollow  mountain,  and  Chriem- 
hild  begged,  implored  her  hero  to  look  to  his 
own  safety ;  but  he  was  inaccessible  to  fear. 
And  now  the  monster  was  seen  approaching 
like  a  storm-cloud  from  which  lightning  flashes. 
It  was  his  fiery  breath,  which,  like  raging  flames, 
preceded  him.  The  horror  drew  nearer,  dark, 
hideous ;  the  whole  mountain  trembled,  so  that 
the  dwarfs  feared  it  would  cave  in  upon  them. 
At  Siegfried's  entreaty  Chriemhild  withdrew  into 
the  cave ;  but  even  he  could  not  stand  his  ground 
for  heat,  as  the  monster  approached.  Peering 
through  a  rent  in  the  rock  he  saw  that  the 
flames  gradually  subsided,  and  now  again  he 
boldly  climbed  the  hill.  The  dragon  rushed 
upon  him ;  with  his  claws  he  tore  away  his 
shield,  tried  to  lay  hold  of  him  with  his  brist- 
ling teeth,  and,  as  the  marvellously  brave  man 
eluded  his  yawning  jaws,  his  fire-breath  blazed 
out  again,  so  that  the  knight  was  once  more 


no 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

obliged  to  fly.  As  soon  as  the  heat  subsided, 
the  champion  was  again  on  the  rock,  and  at- 
tacked the  monster,  now  on  the  right,  now  on 
the  left,  carefully  avoiding  his  jaws;  but  Bal- 
mung  inflicted  never  a  wound. 

He  defended  himself  from  the  claws  by 
incredible  leaps,  and  tried  to  strike  the  animal 
in  the  soft  part  of  the  belly.  Then  the  dragon 
wound  the  coils  of  his  tail  so  closely  about  him 
that  he  could  not  escape.  In  this  extremity  he 
seized  Balmung  with  both  hands  and  dealt  a 
fearful  blow,  from  which  the  rocks  quaked. 
The  knot  was  loosened ;  the  cloven  coils 
squirmed  and  turned  and  rolled  down  the  preci- 
pice, where  they  were  dashed  to  pieces.  A 
second  blow  cleft  the  trunk  of  the  monster  in 
twain.  The  jaws,  indeed,  still  snapped  at  the 
hero ;  but  he  pitched  the  pieces  into  the  abyss, 
then  himself  sank  as  if  dead  upon  the  bloody 
ground,  exhausted  and  almost  suffocated  by  the 
poisonous  fumes.  When  he  regained  conscious- 
ness he  felt  Chriemhild's  arms  about  him,  and 
found  himself  surrounded  by  the  helpful  dwarfs, 
who,  by  the  burning  of  sweet  herbs,  had  ban- 
ished the  noxious  vapors. 

The  wee  men  guided  the  hero  and  the  rescued 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

maiden  into  their  subterranean  kingdom,  where 
a  luscious  feast  was  prepared.  Then  Eugel  re- 
lated that  the  monster  was  once  a  man,  beauti- 
ful in  form  and  feature.  A  powerful  sorceress, 
to  whom  he  had  proved  faithless  in  love,  cursed 
him  to  live  henceforth  as  a  reptile,  unless,  at  the 
expiration  of  six  years,  a  pure  virgin  should 
choose  to  espouse  him. 

The  dwarfs,  who  had  been  liberated  from 
their  oppression,  placed  all  their  treasures  at  the 
service  of  the  brave  knight.  He  accepted  in- 
deed a  lading  of  them,  yet  so  that  the  beloved 
maiden  should  still  have  room  upon  the  steed ; 
then,  accompanied  by  Eugel,  he  walked  sturdily 
by  her  side.  When  they  came  to  the  end  of 
the  dismal  forest,  the  dwarf  gazed  sadly  upon 
him. 

"  Know,  valiant  knight,"  said  he,  "  that  thy 
life  will  be  short,  but  full  of  glory ;  thou  wilt 
fall  treacherously  through  envy  of  thy  relatives ; 
but  thy  fame  will  abide,  and  thy  name  will  be 
extolled  by  minstrels l  of  the  folk  so  long  as  the 
children  of  men  people  the  earth." 

1  The  profession  of  the  minstrel  in  the  Middle  Ages 
included  knights  and  henchmen  in  its  ranks,  and,  as 

112 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

With  this,  Eugel  took  his  leave,  and  retreated 
into  the  pines. 

When  Siegfried  returned  with  the  maiden  to 
the  Rhine,  he  took  the  treasure  from  his  steed, 
and  sank  it  in  deep  water. 

"  What  is  gold  to  me,"  said  he,  "  since  my 
life  is  to  be  short,  but  glorious  ?  Bury  it  in  thy 
bosom,  mighty  stream,  roll  thy  waves  over  it, 
that  they  gleam  the  brighter.  In  the  hands  of 
the  children  of  men,  it  is  the  wages  of  hell,  for 
which  the  devil's  vassals  strive ;  in  the  festive 
cup  it  mixes  deadly  poison ;  it  sharpens  the 
traitor's  dagger,  that  it  may  slay, — soon  perhaps 

we  see  in  the  case  of  Volker,  its  practice  was  not  in- 
consistent with  more  martial  duties.  Sometimes  the 
minstrel  was  a  household  retainer,  and  sometimes  a 
strolling  bard  who  visited  castle  and  cabin,  and,  to 
the  accompaniment  of  some  stringed  instrument,  ex- 
temporized songs,  or  repeated  the  well-known  favor- 
ites of  the  people.  In  an  age  and  among  a  people 
where  books  and  reading  were  unknown,  these  min- 
strel songs  were  the  repository  of  the  history  of  the 
nation,  and  embodied  much  of  the  religious  beliefs  of 
the  people.  Later,  these  songs  became  less  gravely 
heroic  in  character  and  more  exclusively  devoted  to 
the  service  of  love  and  romance,  as  lyric  song  gradu- 
ally succeeded  the  epic. 

8  113 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

myself.  But  still  is  the  bright  day  mine ;  still 
will  I  rejoice  in  fame  and  in  the  precious  love 
which  blooms  for  me  in  the  heart  of  the  fairest 
of  maidens." 

He  called  to  the  ferryman  to  take  himself 
and  his  companion  across. 

The  mourning  in  Worms  for  the  princess 
and  for  the  hero,  whom  they  regarded  as  lost, 
was  changed  to  rejoicing  when  the  travellers 
arrived  and  told  of  their  incredible  adventures. 
Dame  Ute  clasped  in  her  motherly  arms  the 
brave  man  and  her  rescued  daughter,  and 
called  them  both  her  children ;  for  she  did  not 
doubt  that  the  king  too  would  joyfully  consent 
to  the  union  of  the  noble  pair. 

"  So  be  it,  then,  friend,  well  beloved,"  said 
Gunther ;  "  if  thou  wilt  render  me  thine  aid  to 
win  a  high-born  wife,  then  do  I  promise  thee 
that,  at  the  same  time,  thou  shalt  lead  my  sister 
home.  I  intend  to  pay  my  court  to  Brunhild, 
the  proud  queen  of  Isenland,  whose  powerful 
hand  has  sent  many  a  suitor  to  his  death." 

"I  know  her  well,"1  answered  the  knight, 
"  and  I  have  seen,  too,  her  fatal  games ;  but  I 

1  See  p.  68. 
114 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

doubt  not  that  we  shall  be  the  victors.  Make 
ready  for  the  journey,  that  we  may  return  home 
before  the  summer  passes." 

Pleased  at  the  promised  assistance,  Gunther 
bade  the  women  prepare  fine  garments,  glittering 
with  gold  and  precious  stones,  for  he  wished  to 
appear  before  the  proud  maiden  in  regal  state. 
Mother  and  sister  trembled  for  the  good  man, 
but  Siegfried  bade  them  be  of  good  cheer.  He 
promised  to  stand  by  Gunther  faithfully,  and 
die  or  live  with  him.  He  thought  the  proud 
queen  of  Isenland  was  not  so  formidable  as  the 
monster  on  the  Dragon-Rock.  She  might  greet 
them  perhaps  with  disagreeable  speech,  but  not 
with  flaring  flames. 

When  the  king  proposed  to  summon  a  thou- 
sand knights  as  retinue,  Siegfried  dissuaded  him 
from  this,  because  Brunhild  could  easily  oppose 
to  them  tenfold  the  number  of  valiant  men. 
He  thought  that  Gunther,  the  grim  Hagen, 
Dankwart,  and  himself  would  amply  suffice  for 
the  games,  and  for  more  serious  conflicts  as  well. 


»5 


IV 

THE   CONQUEST   OF   BRUNHILD   AND   A 
DOUBLE   WEDDING 

PROFUSELY  decked  with  flags  and  with 
purple  sails,  the  boat,  on  board  which 
were  the  brave  knights,  made  its  way  down  the 
Rhine,  and  onward  into  the  open  sea  towards 
Isenland.1  When  the  wind  fell,  then  Siegfried 
seized  the  oar,  and  their  craft  flew  more  swiftly 

1  In  regard  to  the  location  of  the  mythical  kingdom 
of  Isenland  authorities  differ.  Von  der  Hagen  would 
refer  it  to  Iceland;  but  the  twelve  days  allowed  the 
heroes,  in  some  accounts,  to  reach  their  destination 
from  Worms,  would  scarcely  be  sufficient  for  a  jour- 
ney even  to  one  of  the  Danish  islands.  In  common 
with  Rassman,  Simrock  believes  it  more  probable  that 
the  tradition  of  the  worship  of  Isis  on  the  Rhine,  and 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Scheldt,  lies  at  the  foundation 
of  the  legend  of  Gunther's  journey  to  Isenland.  He 
makes  Brunhild  equivalent  to  Isis,  since,  in  the  old 
sagas,  both  are  sometimes  called  wives  of  Odin.  He 
also  mentions  philological  grounds  in  support  of  his 
theory.  (See  Simrock's  Deutsche  Mythologie,  §  110.) 

116 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

than  before  through  the  foaming  waves.  At 
length  the  battlements  of  Isenstein1  rose  from 
the  sea,  and  soon  the  castle  towered  aloft  be- 
fore the  knights.  They  landed.  Their  rich 
attire  glistened  in  the  sunshine  and  proclaimed 
that  royal  honors  were  due.  From  the  win- 
dows of  the  castle  and  from  the  balcony,  women 
and  fair  maidens  looked  down  upon  them. 
King  Gunther  recognized  the  queen  whom  he 
sought,  by  her  lofty  stature  and  rich  adorn- 
ments. Brunhild  fixed  her  gaze  only  upon  the 
Nibelung  hero,  who  was  already  known  to  her, 
and  of  whose  wonderful  battles  and  adventures 
the  wandering  minstrels  had  sung  even  in  Isen- 
land. 

"  Does  he  come  as  a  bold  suitor  *?  Will  he 
be  victorious  in  the  games?"  So  questioned 
her  throbbing  heart.  "  For  him  alone  I  desire 
the  great  prize,"  said  she,  half  aloud,  "  for  he  is 
the  most  valiant  hero  to  be  found  among  the 
peoples  of  the  earth." 

The  knights  had  meantime  ridden  into  the 
court  of  the  castle.  Menials  hurried  to  relieve 


1  In  accordance  with  the  foregoing  note,  Isenstein 
could  be  interpreted  as  the  castle  of  Isis. 
117 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

them  of  their  armor  and  steeds.  Hagen  indeed 
objected,  but  when  Siegfried  said  that  such  was 
the  law  and  custom  at  Isenstein,  he  yielded  his 
armor,  though  unwillingly,  to  the  patiently  wait- 
ing attendants. 

The  valiant  knights  entered  the  hall,  where 
Brunhild  in  regal  attire  awaited  them.  She 
greeted  the  guests  according  to  the  custom, 
distinguishing  particularly  the  Nibelung  hero. 
She  said  to  him  that  she  was  delighted  to  see 
him  again,  that  she  had  been  told  much  of  his 
wonderful  deeds,  and  that  she  supposed  he  had 
returned  to  Isenland  to  take  part  in  the  con- 
tests. The  hero  assured  her,  on  the  contrary, 
that  he  was  there  only  in  attendance  on  King 
Gunther,  his  lord,  who  wished  to  join  in  the 
games,  and  who  was  indeed  worthy  of  the  high 
prize. 

"  That  seems  to  me  a  strange  story,"  said  the 
queen.  "  I  weened  thou  wert  thine  own  man, 
and  not  another's." 

Thereupon  she  turned  to  Gunther  with  the 
words : 

"  Nor  of  the  King  of  the  Burgundians  am  I 
ignorant,  for  many  a  guest  from  foreign  lands 

has  told  me  of  thy  brave  deeds.     But  who  are 

iii 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

the  other  knights, — this  one  here,  sullen  and 
grim  of  feature,  and  that  young  hero  there, 
proud  as  if  a  kingdom  were  his  ?" 

"  Thy  greeting  rejoices  me,  most  noble 
queen,"  said  Gunther;  "and  I  am  ready  to 
serve  thee.  The  older  knight  is  my  uncle,  the 
powerful  Hagen  of  Tronje,  and  the  younger  his 
brother  Dankwart,  a  no  less  valiant  warrior." 

"  So  would  ye  all  three  together  do  battle  for 
the  one  maid  ?"  said  Brunhild,  laughing.  "  That 
is  not  the  fashion  of  the  land." 

"  I  alone  am  the  contestant,"  replied  the 
king ;  "  I  alone  seek  the  costly  prize." 

"  So  be  it !"  said  the  woman.  "  The  lists  are 
open  :  prepare  for  the  games  !" 

The  knights  were  conducted  to  the  court  of 
the  castle,  where  a  large  space  was  enclosed 
within  the  boundaries.  Around  it  stood  the 
retainers  of  the  queen,  all  well  armed.  One  of 
them  announced  with  a  loud  voice : 

"  If  any  noble-born  contestant  ventures  the 
threefold  game  with  the  queen,  and  wins  the 
victory,  she,  together  with  the  kingdom  of 
Isenland,  will  become  his  own.  Should  he, 
however,  in  either  contest,  fail  of  victory,  his 

fortune  and  his  head  are  forfeited." 

119 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

Four  men  now  with  difficulty  dragged  into 
the  enclosed  space  the  stone *  which  the  players 
should  throw.  It  was  large  and  heavy  as  a 
millstone.  Three  other  men  bore  the  ponder- 
ous lance  which  the  maiden  was  wont  to  hurl. 

"  If  the  fiendish  woman 2  plays  with   such 

1  In  Munich  there  formerly  lay  a  huge  stone  bear- 
ing an  inscription  which  stated  that  in  the  year  1490 
Duke  Christopher,  a  Bavarian,  had  lifted  this  weight 
of   three   hundred   and   sixty-four   pounds   from   the 
earth  and  thrown  it  a  great  distance.     Another  in- 
scription, found  in  the  same  place,  affirmed  that  Duke 
Christopher  had  made  a  leap  of  twelve  feet  from  the 
ground. 

We  find  frequent  allusion  to  similar  trials  of 
strength  and  skill  throughout  the  Middle  Ages,  and 
even  in  modern  times  in  some  parts  of  Switzerland 
and  Germany,  although  unaccompanied  by  such  ex- 
travagance of  statement  in  regard  to  weight  and  meas- 
ure. 

2  Brunhild,  as  we  know  her  in  the  Nibelungen  Lied, 
is    gifted   with   qualities   evidently   superhuman,   but 
yet  inferior  to  those  attributed  to  her  in  the  older 
sagas, — belief  in  the  supernatural  having  declined  be- 
tween the  earlier  compositions   and  the  later.      The 
Eddas  represent  Brunhild  as  a  Valkyr,  possessing  all 
the  power  and  wisdom  of  these  favored  daughters  of 
Odin. 

120 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

toys,"  said  Hagen,  "  she  is  the  Devil's  bride, 
and  will  never  pledge  her  troth  to  child  of 
man." 

"  Had  we  but  our  weapons,"  cried  Dankwart, 
"  neither  the  king  nor  we  should  perish  here." 

"  We  shall  all  escape,"  said  Siegfried ;  "  only 
be  of  good  courage,  King  Gunther.  I  will 
fetch  my  hiding-cap  from  the  boat,  and,  without 
being  perceived,  will  stand  by  thee  in  good  faith 
as  a  friend." 

He  hurried  away,  while  all  the  people  gazed 
at  the  queen,  who,  surrounded  by  fair  women 
and  courtiers,  strode  by  in  glittering  armor. 
Her  helm  sparkled  with  gems,  so  too  her  cuirass 
and  the  conspicuous  iron  shield  which,  as  certain 
of  victory,  she  gayly  carried  on  her  arm. 

"  Is  it  then  fair,  Madame  Queen,"  said  Hagen, 
"  that  thy  men  are  armed  and  we  are  without 
weapon  ?" 

"  Let  the  armor  of  the  knights  be  brought," 
commanded  Brunhild  ;  "  nevertheless,  they  must 
here  lose  their  lives.  Behold  the  man  who  will 
behead  ye  when,  as  ever,  I  am  victorious  in  the 
contest." 

The  heroes  looked  in  the  direction  which  she 
indicated  and  perceived  a  man  in  blood-red  gar- 


121 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

ments,  who  carried  in  his  hand  a  glittering, 
keen-edged  axe.  They  shuddered ;  but  when 
their  accoutrements  were  brought,  and  they 
stood  under  arms,  they  were  reassured,  and  the 
dauntless  Dankwart  called  to  the  man  in  the  red 
garments : 

"  Thou  must  sharpen  well  thine  axe,  so  that 
it  will  cut  through  steel  rings,1  else  will  I  cut 
off  thine  own  head  with  my  sword." 

The  king,  too,  now  demanded  in  loud,  firm 
tones  the  opening  of  the  game,  for  he  perceived 
that  his  comrade  Siegfried  stood  invisible  beside 
him. 

The  blast  of  trumpets  and  the  roll  of  drums 
announced  the  beginning  of  the  life-and-death 


1  During  the  Crusades  various  forms  of  chain  mail 
came  into  use,  which  were  succeeded,  in  the  fourteenth 
century,  by  plates  or  scales  of  iron.  We  are  assured 
by  Anna  Comnena,  daughter  of  Emperor  Alexis  of 
Constantinople,  that  the  coat  of  chain  mail  in  the 
eleventh  century  was  known  only  in  the  north  of 
Europe.  The  poet  of  the  Lied,  therefore,  has  clothed 
the  Burgundian  heroes  with  the  armor  of  his  own 
day  rather  than  that  in  actual  use  in  the  ancient  capi- 
tal of  our  three  kings.  In  such  anachronisms  poets 
and  painters  abound — Shakespeare  not  less  than  any. 

122 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

contest.  Brunhild  advanced  to  the  stone, 
grasped  and  raised  it  with  both  hands,  and  threw 
it  so  powerfully  that  it  flew  six  fathoms  away. 
Then  she  bounded  after  it  lightly  as  a  bird  flies, 
with  a  single  leap,  so  that  the  tip  of  her  foot 
touched  the  stone.  Loud  applause  from  the 
crowd  greeted  the  royal  competitor.  Then  fol- 
lowed unbroken  silence  as  Gunther  advanced. 
Backed  by  Siegfried's  strength,  he  raised  the 
stone,  swung  it  back  and  forth  with  one  hand, 
and  hurled  it  even  a  fathom  beyond  the  cast  of 
the  queen.  It  is  true  that  his  hand  was  guided 
by  a  far  stronger  man.  The  same  bore  him  up, 
too,  in  the  leap,  just  as  the  strong  eagle  bears 
his  prey,  even  beyond  the  stone  he  had  cast,  to 
where  he  now  stood  as  victor  before  the  aston- 
ished multitude. 

"  Hail  to  King  Gunther  !"  shouted  Dankwart, 
the  young  knight ;  but  no  one  joined  in  the 
joyous  cry,  for  Brunhild  rose  with  angrily  flash- 
ing glance  and  seized  the  mighty  lance  with  the 
sharp  steel  tip. 

"  Now  guard  thy  life,  proud  king  !"  cried  she, 
and  hurled  the  shaft  so  vigorously  that,  with  a 
crash,  it  broke  through  the  rim  of  the  shield, 
and  would  have  felled  the  man  despite  his  coat 

123 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

of  mail  had  not  the  wondrously  valiant  Siegfried 
proved  his  savior  by  turning  the  rim  sideward, 
so  that  the  deadly  tip  glanced  off  harmless.  He 
then  tore  the  shaft  out  of  the  broken  shield, 
turned  it  about  so  that  the  blunt  end 1  was  towards 
his  antagonist,  and,  guiding  Gunther's  hand, 
hurled  it  with  force  at  the  warlike  maid.  The 
queen  tottered  backward  and  fell  heavily,  making 
her  armor  ring. 

The  game  was  over,  the  victory  won.  Brun- 
hild rose.  She  stood  with  quiet  bearing  before 
the  people.  But  whoever  could  have  looked 
into  her  secret  heart  would  have  seen  how  shame, 
rage,  and  fierce  thirst  for  revenge,  like  poisonous 
vipers,  reared  their  heads  there  ready  to  break 
forth  with  destructive  fury.  She  summoned 
her  retainers,  and  called  upon  them  to  pay 
homage  to  King  Gunther,  who  was  now  her 
king  as  well.  She  dispatched  special  couriers 
through  all  Isenland  to  the  burgraves  and  their 

1  This  delicate  gallantry  belongs  not  to  the  king, 
but  to  Siegfried,  who  is  usually  marked  by  generosity 
and  a  fine  sense  of  honor.  Yet  he  had  not  hesitated 
to  win  his  own  bride  by  the  help  of  a  confessed  ruse 
de  guerre  in  this  contest  that  should,  at  the  same  time, 
win  the  athletic  queen  for  his  friend  Gunther. 

124 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

men,  that  within  three  days  they  should  journey 
to  Isenstein  and  take  oath  to  their  liege  lord. 
She  begged  the  knights  to  accept  as  guests  the 
hospitality  of  the  castle  for  this  space  of  time. 
Further,  she  inquired  after  the  Nibelung  hero, 
and,  as  he  just  came  up  and  remarked  that  he 
had  been  looking  to  the  boat  and  the  crew,  she 
thought  him  an  unfaithful  vassal  because  he 
esteemed  it  of  small  importance  to  be  present  at 
the  contest  of  his  lord. 

"  I  would  not  have  believed,"  added  she, 
"  that  in  any  land  there  were  a  man  so  valiant 
as  the  hero  of  the  Netherlands — unless  some 
trick  of  magic  has  played  a  part  in  the  games. 
Of  that  I  shall  doubtless  shortly  be  aware." 

A  banquet  was  prepared  in  the  hall.  There 
the  guests  sat  and  drank  rare  wines  with  the 
valiant  men  of  the  castle,  while  fair  women 
filled  and  passed  the  beakers ;  yet  was  the 
queen  not  at  the  feast  of  the  heroes.  Gunther 
seemed  now  elated,  now  depressed  in  spirit. 
He  was  ashamed  of  the  victory  by  a  strange 
hand,  and  again  he  rejoiced  at  the  maiden  he 
had  won.  Hagen  drained  many  a  beaker,  yet 
he  talked  little  and  looked  on  often  right  grimly 
when  the  junketing,  drinking  knights  laughed 

125 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

and  made  merry  together.  Late  in  the  night 
the  heroes  from  the  Rhine  were  conducted  to 
their  common  apartment.  As  without  mis- 
givings they  betook  themselves  to  rest,  the 
Tronjan  warned  them  to  look  to  their  arms, 
because  it  appeared  to  him  that  the  queen  had 
an  evil  counsel  in  mind ;  she  had  sent  for  the 
burgraves  with  their  men  that  they  might  capture 
them,  the  knights  from  the  Rhine,  and  deliver 
them  over  to  the  red  man  with  the  axe.  It  was 
ill  done  that  they  had  not  mustered  a  thousand 
well-armed  Burgundians  for  the  journey.  At 
this  speech  the  knights  were  troubled.  Then 
the  valiant  Siegfried  cried  that  he  would  soon 
enough  bring  together  a  host  of  brave  Nibe- 
lungs ;  and  went  while  it  was  still  night  to  the 
boat  on  the  strand.  The  cables  were  loosed : 
the  boat,  aided  by  a  fair  wind  and  the  powerful 
strokes  of  Siegfried's  oar,  flew  through  the 
dancing  waves  towards  Nibelung  Land.  The 
hero  reached  one  of  its  bays  the  very  next 
night  and  hurried  immediately  to  the  castle. 
He  found  it  well  guarded,  for  the  porter,  an 
invincible  giant,  attacked  him  with  his  spear 
when  he  demanded  admittance.  His  vigorous 

blows  awakened  the  dwarf  Alberich,  the  keeper 

126 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

of  the  treasure,  who  likewise  immediately  fell 
upon  the  knight.  Siegfried  overcame  both 
without  harming  them.  Only  then  did  he  make 
himself  known.  He  rejoiced  over  their  faithful- 
ness and  bade  them  furnish  a  thousand  well- 
armed  men  from  the  castle  to  go  with  him  to 
Isenland.  The  loyal  servitors  did  according  to 
his  command.  In  a  short  time  the  well-appointed 
troops  were  embarked  on  the  hastily-rigged 
boats  and  sailed  over  the  swelling  sea. 

The  third  morning  Gunther  and  Hagen  stood 
anxiously  on  the  watch,  for  many  of  the  bur- 
graves  who  were  summoned  had  already  arrived 
with  their  men,  while  sinister  looks  and  covert 
whispering  suggested  to  the  king  suspicions  of 
no  agreeable  character.  To  his  relief  he  now 
saw  the  boats  skimming  along  the  strand,  the 
knights  in  shining  armor  disembarking  and  in 
multitudes  taking  their  way  to  the  castle. 
Hagen  spied  out  the  brave  Siegfried  at  the  head 
of  the  valiant  men,  and  thought : 

"  Now,  though  all  Isenland  rise  in  arms,  yet 
shall  we  survive." 

The  queen,  on  the  contrary,  began  to  be  con- 
cerned lest  a  hostile  host  contemplated  making 

conquest  of  her  kingdom.     Then  Gunther  com- 

127 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

forted  her,  calling  her  attention  to  the  Nether- 
land  hero,  and  said : 

"He  has  only  brought  my  royal  retainers1 
over  the  sea  that  they  may  attend  upon  my 
state." 

If  the  high-born  lady  were  pleased  with  the 
guests  and  their  errand,  is  not  known  to  us ; 
however,  she  received  the  folk  readily,  had 
quarters  prepared  for  them,  and,  with  courteous 
manner,  offered  her  hand  to  the  brave  hero  who 
led  the  warriors.  Then  they  had  a  deal  of 
jousting  and  merrymaking,  with  song  and  revel, 
and  wine  flowed  freely. 

In  the  course  of  the  following  days  arrange- 
ments were  made  for  the  administration  of  the 
government.  Brunhild  distributed  many  gifts, 
garments,  suits  of  armor,  steeds,  and  ornaments 
among  those  who  had  need  of  them.  When, 
at  last,  she  took  leave  of  her  country  and  people, 
and  appointed  a  worthy  man,  her  mother's 
brother,  as  her  regent,  there  was  much  weeping 
among  the  people,  and  she  herself  was  not  light 

1  Another  piece  of  deception  to  support  the  first, 
in  which  Siegfried  was  represented  as  Gunther's  vas- 
sal. 

128 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 


of  heart,  for  she  held  that  she  should  never 
again  see  her  beloved  home.  Howbeit,  Gunther 
urged  their  departure,  for  he  would  fain  celebrate 
his  happy  nuptials  in  Worms. 

After  a  fair  voyage,  how  the  knights  greeted 
the  noble  Rhine,  its  Elysian  Fields,1  its  courts  and 
proud  castles,  its  vineyards  and  shady  groves! 
They  weened  there  could  be  no  better  land  in 
the  wide  world  than  the  Rhine  land.  Slowly, 
on  account  of  their  numerous  train,  they  rode 
along  the  river.  Therefore  it  seemed  good  to 
the  king  to  send  in  advance  a  knight  who 
should  bear  comfortable  tidings  to  women  and 
kinsmen,  and  prepare  a  festive  reception  for  the 
honored  guests.  For  this  he  turned  to  Hagen, 
but  he  excused  himself,  because  he  understood 
not  dainty  speech  seemly  for  high-born  ladies. 
He  rather  referred  him  to  Siegfried,  who  would 

1  This  name  was  applied  in  Greek  mythology  to 
the  paradise  in  which  the  souls  of  the  virtuous  after 
death  were  rewarded  by  the  enjoyment  of  perfect 
bliss.  Homer  describes  it  as  blessed  with  another 
sun  and  other  stars,  enjoying  an  everlasting  summer, 
refreshed  by  gentle  zephyrs, — exhibiting,  in  fact,  as 
implied  in  this  passage,  all  that  is  most  lovely  in 
earthly  conditions. 

9  129 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

be  versed  in  such  matters.  Gladly  the  Nibe- 
lung  hero  accepted  the  commission,  for  he  had 
long  found  the  journey  too  lagging,  and  he  had 
gladly  ridden  day  and  night  to  see  again  the 
lovely  maid  of  Worms.  He  therefore  took  his 
leave  and  rode  rapidly  away  without  resting 
longer  by  the  way  than  was  necessary  for  his 
noble  steed. 

At  first  his  arrival  excited  much  alarm,  for  it 
was  feared  that  all  his  comrades  had  been  killed 
in  the  distant  country.  But  when  he  reported 
the  happy  results  of  his  journey,  there  was 
great  rejoicing.  The  young  Giselher,  whom 
he  first  encountered,  rushed  in  advance  to  the 
women. 

"  Mother  !  dear  Sister  !"  he  cried,  "  give  the 
herald  rich  guerdon !  He  brings  tidings  that 
the  knights  are  all  safe  and  of  glad  heart ;  that 
they  bring  with  them  the  proud  Brunhild,  who, 
by  and  by,  will  be  Queen  of  Burgundia." 

Scarcely  had  he  finished  this  speech,  when 
Siegfried  entered.  Glowing  with  joy  and  love, 
Chriemhild  came  towards  him. 

"  Welcome,  Sir  Siegfried  !"  said  she.  "  What 
shall  I  offer  thee  as  recompense,  since  thou  thy- 
self art  rich  ?" 

130 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

"  Ah,  Sister,"  cried  Giselher,  "  give  him  a 
kiss !  that  will  seem  to  him  a  rich  present." 

Then  the  maiden  blushed  still  more,  but  she 
did  not  refuse  to  do  as  her  brother  bade. 

When  the  first  delirium  of  joy  was  over,  they 
began  to  prepare  for  the  reception  of  the  dis- 
tinguished guests.  The  women  selected  their 
finest  attire  and  richest  ornaments  for  the  fol- 
lowing day,  on  which  Gunther  with  his  royal 
bride1  was  expected.  Watchmen  were  sta- 
tioned in  the  towers  to  proclaim  the  news,  when 
they  should  perceive  the  imposing  train.  The 
whole  day  they  waited ;  at  last,  just  as  the 
evening  sun  mirrored  itself  in  the  Rhine,  the 
horns  of  the  watchmen  sounded  from  all  the 
towers.  Immediately,  the  noble  knights,  to- 
gether with  their  retainers,  put  themselves  in 
motion.  In  their  midst,  upon  proud,  richly 
caparisoned  steeds,  rode  Dame  Ute  and  her 
blooming  daughter,  with  their  female  attend- 
ants, and  the  heroes,  Ortewin,  Gere,  and  others. 
But,  by  the  side  of  Chriemhild,  rode  the  val- 


1  The  words  "  bride"  (Braut)  and  "  bridegroom" 
(Brautigam)  are  applied  in  this  text,  as  in  the  Ger- 
man, to  the  betrothed. 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

liant  knight  of  the  Netherlands,  easily  recog- 
nized by  his  glittering  armor  and  flashing  eyes, 
which  gleamed  like  stars  beneath  his  helm. 

Many  boats  lay  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  in  readiness  to  transport  the  king  and  his 
train.  As  they  disembarked,  there  was  no  end 
to  the  greetings  and  kisses.  Dame  Ute  imme- 
diately recognized  Queen  Brunhild  by  her  lofty 
stature  and  imperious  carriage.  She  embraced 
her  as  her  honored  daughter ;  and  Chriemhild, 
too,  kissed  her  cordially,  and  promised  to  be  a 
true  sister  to  her.  Brunhild  looked  with  de- 
light upon  the  modest,  lovely  maiden,  returned 
her  kiss,  and  also  pledged  her  friendship  and  ten- 
der love.  So  the  two  women  stood  together,  arm 
in  arm,  the  one  grand  and  beautiful,  unfathom- 
able as  a  starry  night ;  the  other  bright,  bloom- 
ing, needing  and  bestowing  love,  like  a  bright 
May  morning.  One  could  not  tell  to  whom  to 
give  the  preference.  But  Siegfried  knew  well ; 
and,  on  the  return,  remained  ever  at  the  side  of 
the  maid  of  his  choice,  exchanging  with  her, 
now  merry  and  now  serious  speech. 

The  Kings'  Hall  was  decked  gayly,  like  a 
garden  of  flowers,  with  branches  and  with  fra- 
grant blossoms.  Wreaths  and  garlands  encir- 

13* 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

cled  the  supporting  pillars,  showing  between  the 
decorations  gleams  of  the  gilded  capitals  and 
marble  shafts.  Already  the  guests  were  assem- 
bled there,  and  servants  were  bringing  viands. 
Then  King  Gunther  came  forward. 

"Beloved  comrade  Siegfried,"  said  he,  "the 
time  is  at  hand  when  I  am  to  fulfil  to  thee  my 
promise,  since  thou  hast  redeemed  in  good  faith 
thy  pledge  to  me.  Come  hither  to  me,  that  the 
worthy  guests  may  hear  what  we  say.  And 
thou,  too,  Sister  Chriemhild,  do  not  decline  to 
stand  before  me." 

When  they  had  both  done  according  to  his 
words,  he  proceeded : 

"  Dost  thou  desire,  beloved  comrade,  my  sis- 
ter for  thy  spouse,  and  wilt  thou  honor  and 
cherish  her  as  such  ?" 

The  hero  answered  with  a  loud  and  joyful 
"Yes."  Thereupon  the  king  spake  in  similar 
wise  to  Chriemhild.  A  glowing  red  mantled  her 
cheeks ;  she  dropped  her  eyes,  and  murmured  a 
low  "  Yes." 

"  Then,  shall  ye  to-morrow,"  said  Gunther, 
"  celebrate  your  nuptials  with  me  and  my  royal 
bride,  Brunhild,  provided  that  Mother  Ute  raises 
no  objection." 

133 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

In  lieu  of  reply,  Dame  Ute  embraced  each  of 
the  bridal  pair  and  invoked  heaven's  blessing 
upon  this  union. 

At  the  banquet  Brunhild  sat,  cold  as  marble, 
by  Gunther's  side.  Chriemhild,  talking  pleas- 
antly, sat  by  her  bridegroom,  often  returning  a 
pressure  of  the  hand. 

"  Lord  of  the  Burgundians,"  said  Brunhild  to 
Gunther,  "  I  wonder  that  thou  art  willing  to  give 
thy  sister  to  one  of  thy  men,  a  vassal,  when  she 
were  worthy  of  the  richest  king." 

"  Speak  not  so,"  replied  the  chieftain.  "  Sieg- 
fried is  as  much  a  king  as  myself;  he  is  the  king 
of  the  Nibelungs  ;  and  some  time,  after  the  death 
of  his  father,  all  the  Netherlands  will  be  subject 
to  him." 

"  That  is  verily  a  marvellous  story,"  she  con- 
tinued. "  Why,  he  acknowledged  himself  a 
vassal !" 

"I  will  tell  thee  all  about  this  later,"  con- 
cluded he ;  "  but  now  speak  no  more  about  it." 

The  following  day  the  double  wedding  was 
celebrated.1  Dame  Ute  conducted  her  daughter- 

1  The  offices  of  the  Church  were  not  in  general  requi- 
sition on  the  occasion  of  marriages  until  the  end  of 

134 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

in-law  through  the  halls  of  the  palace,  showed 
her  the  rich  treasures  she  could  now  call  her 
own,  and  the  apartments  which,  for  the  future, 
she  was  to  occupy.  There  were  mirrors  of 
Venetian  glass,  crystal  vases,  couches  soft  as 
velvet,  curtains  of  red  and  blue  silk,  and  many 
other  costly  articles. 

"  That  is  all  thine  own,"  said  the  aged  queen, 
"and  thou  canst  control  it  according  to  thy 
pleasure." 

"  Yes,  Mother  Ute,"  answered  the  young  wife, 
"  the  Burgundians  are  rich  in  treasure  and  great 
in  power ;  but  they  are  poor  in  wise  counsel  and 
weak  in  action,  else  were  King  Gunther  never 
come  to  Isenland."  Without  awaiting  a  reply 
she  passed  on. 

The  banquet  was  over.  Long  after  nightfall 
the  guests  sought  their  apartments.  So  did 
Gunther  also,  with  his  queen.  When  they 

the  twelfth  century.  Publicity  was,  however,  essen- 
tial to  the  legality  of  the  bond;  and  weddings  were 
celebrated  with  greater  or  less  splendor,  according  to 
the  wealth  and  rank  of  the  contracting  parties.  Some- 
times the  festivities  lasted  for  three  or  four  weeks, 
and  the  numerous  guests  received,  together  with  the 
usual  hospitalities,  many  costly  gifts. 
135 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

came  to  her  chamber,  she  stepped  before  him  so 
as  to  bar  the  way,  saying : 

"  This  is  not  thine  apartment.  Thou  canst 
doubtless  find  a  better  in  the  palace." 

Nevertheless  he  did  not  allow  himself  to  be 
repelled  by  words.  On  the  contrary,  he  grew 
more  insistent,  and  sought  by  force  to  obtain 
admittance  to  the  room.  A  violent  struggle 
began ;  yet  in  a  short  time  she  vanquished  him, 
bound  him  hand  and  foot  with  her  girdle,1  a 
stout  strap,  and  left  him  lying  so  before  the 
portal.  There,  indeed,  the  livelong  night  he 
had  a  sorry  chamber. 

In  the  morning,  when  the  servants  were 
already  stirring,  the  proud  queen  loosed  the  fet- 

1  In  a  description  of  mediaeval  costume,  Professor 
Biisching  gives  the  following:  "  The  girdle  deserves 
special  mention,  in  that  it  was  common  through  all 
the  Middle  Ages,  and  was  found  among  laity  and 
clergy,  noblemen  and  folk,  knights  and  squires,  women 
and  men.  The  whole  dress  of  the  Middle  Ages  made 
the  girdle  a  necessity,  since  loose,  full  garments  were 
commonly  worn,  which  required  confinement  about  the 
hips.  The  women,  skilful  in  weaving  and  embroidery 
in  mediaeval  times,  wove  and  ornamented  these  girdles, 
and  worked  figures  upon  them." 

136 


SIEGFRIED'S  LIFE 

ters  of  her  lord,  bade  him  now  betake  himself 
to  rest,  and  never  again  attempt  to  invade  her 
apartment. 

Throughout  the  whole  day  King  Gunther 
was  not  in  happy  mood  like  Siegfried  and  the 
other  guests.  He  looked  almost  with  horror 
upon  his  wedded  queen,  and  ofttimes  forsook 
the  revels  to  wander  alone  in  the  garden.  There 
the  hero  of  the  Netherlands  encountered  him, 
and  sought  to  know  why  he  was  so  discom- 
forted. When  he  had  heard  the  singular  story, 
he  cried  : 

"  Be  of  good  heart,  dear  comrade !  Since 
we  have  vanquished  the  haughty  woman  in 
the  games,  I  ween  we  can  also  burst  the  barred 
portal,  that  thou  mayst  gain  admittance.  At 
night,  when  thou  dost  accompany  the  queen  to 
her  chamber,  I  will  follow  after,  shrouded  in  my 
hiding-cap.  Extinguish  then  the  candle,  that  I 
may  take  thy  place,  and  then  shall  she  try  her 
great  strength  on  me." 

"  Ah,  good  comrade,"  said  Gunther,  "  I  have 
fears  for  thy  life !  We  have  done  ill  to  bring 
her  from  Isenland  to  the  fair  Rhine, — the  bride 
of  hell,  as  Hagen  says,  who  derived  her  great 
strength  from  evil  spirits." 

137 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

"  And  if  a  demon,  in  fact,  has  taken  up  his 
abode  within  her,"  quoth  Siegfried,  "verily  I 
will  combat  him,  and  ween  I'll  prove  his  mas- 
ter. This  night  I  shall  be  near  thee  in  my 
invisible  cap." 

The  kings  returned  to  the  banquet,  Siegfried 
as  ever,  light  of  heart,  Gunther  oppressed  by 
many  cares.  The  latter,  when  midnight  invited 
to  rest,  went  with  Brunhild,  as  the  night  before, 
to  her  chamber,  extinguished  the  candle  as  pre- 
concerted, and  perceived  immediately  that  the 
helpful  knight  took  his  place.  Siegfried,  with- 
out regarding  the  threats  of  the  woman,  pressed 
boldly  towards  the  entrance.  She  seized  him 
with  great  force,  and  attempted,  as  before  with 
Gunther,  to  bind  him  with  her  girdle.  She 
crushed  his  hands  so  that  blood  spurted  from 
beneath  the  nails.  Such  scuffling  and  wrestling 
twixt  a  knight  and  a  maid  was  never  known. 
Nathless,  he  put  forth  all  his  hero's  strength. 
He  crowded  her  into  a  corner,  so  that  all  her 
bones  threatened  to  break.  Gasping  and  groan- 
ing, she  begged  him  only  to  spare  her  life,  and 
she  would  henceforth,  in  good  faith,  do  accord- 
ing to  his  will.  As  soon  as  the  hero  of  the 
Netherlands  heard  this,  with  soft  steps  he  slipped 

138 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

away,  and  left  to  Gunther  the  semblance  of  a 
victory.1 

The  festival  lasted  eight  days  longer.  Then 
the  guests  took  leave  and  departed,  richly  laden 
with  gifts.  Siegfried,  too,  made  ready  for  de- 
parture with  his  wife.  As  the  young  Giselher 
proposed,  and  Chriemhild  wished,  it  was  designed 
that  he  should  share  the  royal  treasures  with  his 
brothers-in-law ;  but  he  declined,  because  the  in- 
exhaustible Nibelung  hoard  was  his.  On  setting 
out,  the  three  kings  accompanied  him  a  long 
way  with  many  knights  and  mounted  men,  so 
that  one  verily  thought  it  meant  the  invasion  of 
an  enemy's  country.  At  the  place  where  they 
were  to  part,  the  whole  army  encamped.  There 
the  friends  ate  and  drank  once  more  together, 
and  Volker,  with  other  minstrels,  to  the  sound 
of  stringed  instruments,  sang  of  the  Rhine  and 
its  mountains  and  its  vine-clad  hills. 

"  Ha,  how  they  cry  like  children    and   kiss 


1  If  the  queen  depended  upon  this  trial  of  strength 
to  satisfy  herself  that  no  "  trick  of  magic"  had  played 
a  part  in  the  games  at  Isenstein  (see  p.  125),  she  is 
now  doubly  deceived,  notwithstanding  her  triumph  of 
the  previous  night. 

139 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

and  fall  upon  each  other's  necks !"  muttered 
Hagen  to  himself,  as  he  saw  how  the  friends 
took  leave  of  each  other. 

"  Look  thee,  Volker,"  he  said  to  his  comrade, 
"  it  is  but  child's  play ; *  for  let  them  once  get  in 
a  passion  of  rage  and  hate,  and  they  would  kill 
each  other  like  poisonous  snakes  ;  and  we  should 
do  likewise,  should  the  Norns  so  ordain,  as  they 
used  to  say  in  olden  time." 

Volker  struck  the  chords  boldly  and  sang : 

"  Once  swore  unto  his  comrade 
A  fiddler  2  wise  and  brave, 
'  Not  treachery,  but  troth,  lad, 
I  pledge  thee  till  the  grave/  " 

"  Of  such  fiddlers,  indeed,  there  are  not  many 
in  the  world,"  said  Hagen. 

1  The  envious  spirit  of  Hagen  here  manifests  itself ; 
and  to  the  minstrel  Volker,  with  a  better  sense  of 
honor,  it  suggests  possible  treachery,  as  he  indicates 
in  the  song. 

2  Volker 's  native  town  of  Alzey  has  preserved  an 
interesting  reminiscence  of  the  art  for  which  at  least 
one  of  her  sons  was  famous.    A  viol  is  conspicuous  in 
the  armorial  insignia  of  the  town,  and,  on  this  ac- 
count, the  inhabitants  of  this  region  bear  the  nick- 
name of  "  the  fiddlers." 

140 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

Trombones  and  trumpets  interrupted  their  talk 
together,  announcing  the  leave-taking. 

"  J°y  g°  w^h  thee,"  cried  Gunther,  once  more 
giving  his  hand  to  his  sister.  "  Two-and-thirty 
noble  maids  of  Burgundia  go  with  thee,  who 
will  ever  mind  thee  of  thine  old  home.  I  will 
send  with  thee  also  a  hundred  mounted  men  as 
fitting  escort,  and  our  uncle  Hagen  will  com- 
mand them." 

That  grim  knight  heard  these  words,  and  rose 
in  displeasure. 

"  The  Tronjans  have  never  been  the  slaves  of 
women,"  said  he.  "  If  Gunther  have  need  of 
such,  let  him  seek  them  elsewhere.  The  Tron- 
jans are  prepared  to  serve  only  the  King  of  Bur- 
gundia and  his  queen ;  and  this  office  will  also 
the  last  of  his  race  fulfil  in  good  faith,  with 
sword  and  lance,  however,  wherever,  and  when- 
ever the  chieftain  will ;  other  service  he  declines."1 

1  This  refusal  is  ventured  upon,  partly  because  of 
the  high  rank  of  Hagen  and  partly  because  he  is  a 
far  stronger  character  than  the  king.  However,  his 
refusal  does  not  seem  so  unreasonable,  since  we  find 
later  (see  p.  178)  that  Eckwart,  who  takes  his  place, 
remains  permanently  a  retainer  of  the  court  of  the 
Netherlands. 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

The  king,  in  perplexed  amazement,  kept 
silence  ;  therefore  Siegfried  spake,  and  said  : 

"  Keep  thee  snugly  at  home,  good  comrade  ; 
there,  in  junket  and  drink,  take  thy  comfort ; 
out  in  the  strange  world  couldst  thou  be  hurt. 
In  thy  place  the  valiant  knight  Eckwart  will 
doubtless  be  ready  to  take  service  with  the  sis- 
ter of  his  lord." 

The  knight  called  upon  joyfully  accepted  the 
office  conferred,  and  thereupon  the  guests  parted 
from  their  hosts  and  went  their  way. 

It  was  a  beautiful  day  when  the  travellers 
arrived  at  Santen,1  not  far  from  the  Lower  Rhine. 
Heralds,  sent  in  advance,  had  announced  their 
coming ;  therefore  the  whole  town,  many  of  the 
country-folk,  and,  above  all  King  Siegmund,  the 
hoary  hero,  and  the  good  Dame  Sieglinde,  were 
prepared  for  the  reception  of  the  distinguished 
guests.  How  the  old  people  embraced  their 
son  and  the  beautiful  daughter !  How  they  re- 
joiced that  all  anxiety  for  their  darling  was  over; 
that  he  had  now  returned  covered  with  glory ! 
The  king  summoned  at  once  the  vassals  of 

1  The    home    of    Siegmund,    in    the    Netherlands. 

(Written  also  Xanten.) 

142 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

the  kingdom,  and,  amidst  great  jubilee  on  the 
part  of  the  folk,  placed  the  crown  upon  the 
head  of  his  worthy  son.  Likewise,  also,  did  the 
queen  to  Chriemhild,  and  the  courtiers  and  castle 
retainers  shouted  loudly : 

"  Hail  to  our  young  and  glorious  king  and 
his  queen  !  May  they,  like  their  ancestors,  reign 
long  and  happily !" 

Time  seemed  to  be  fulfilling  the  wish  of  all 
the  people,  for  many  a  year  flew  by  without  the 
occurrence  of  a  mishap.  Dame  Sieglinde  had 
also  the  happiness  to  cradle  in  her  arms  a  grand- 
son, to  whom  his  father  gave  the  name  Gunther, 
in  honor  of  his  brother-in-law  on  the  Rhine, 
even  as  the  Burgundian  king  had  called  by  the 
name  Siegfried  a  little  boy  whom  Brunhild  had 
presented  him.  Not  long  did  the  aged  queen 
enjoy  this  happiness.  She  fell  ill  and  died,  occa- 
sioning great  mourning  in  the  house.  But  peace 
reigned  continually  in  the  kingdom ;  for  no 
hostile  neighbor,  nor  robber-folk,  nor  evil-minded 
vassal  ventured  to  raise  the  lance  against  the  lord 
of  the  Nibelungs,  the  vanquisher  of  the  fiendish 
dragon. 

Eight  years  may  perhaps  have  passed,  when 
a  message  came  from  Burgundia,  inviting  the 

143 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

kings  and  all  their  kinsmen  to  the  festival  of 
the  summer  solstice.1     The  messengers  declared 

1  The  days  of  the  summer  and  the  winter  solstices 
(June  21  and  December  21)  were  seasons  of  festivity 
among  the  pagan  Teutons.  Upon  the  advent  of  Chris- 
tianity, the  priests,  finding  it  impossible  wholly  to 
suppress  observances  hallowed  by  time  and  associa- 
tion, endeavored  to  reconstruct  certain  of  them,  so 
that  where  they  were  continued  it  should  be  under 
Christian  names,  or,  at  least,  in  commemoration  of 
Christian  events.  Thus,  to  this  day,  we  find  pagan 
customs  and  Christian  sentiments  commingled  in  the 
celebration  of  church  holidays  corresponding  to  hea- 
then fetes.  In  place  of  that  of  the  summer  solstice, 
we  have  St.  John's  Day,  and  even  at  the  present  time 
the  heathen  custom  still  obtains,  in  some  parts  of 
Germany,  of  building  fires  upon  the  hill  tops  in  the 
celebrations  of  this  day.  About  these  danced  youths 
and  maidens,  singing  ancient  rhymes,  and,  as  a  final, 
indispensable  ceremony,  leaping  over  the  glowing  em- 
bers. 

At  the  winter  solstice,  the  time  of  the  re-birth  of 
the  sun,  in  place  of  the  festival  of  Balder,  god  of 
light,  we  celebrate  the  nativity  of  Christ,  the  "  Light 
of  the  World."  The  Christmas  tree  and  the  Yule  log 
antedate  Christianity.  The  heathen  Yuletide  festivi- 
ties did  not,  it  is  true,  include  the  lighted  tree  with 
its  gifts;  yet  fire  was  an  important  feature  in  the 

celebrations ;    and,  in  other  connections,  we  learn  of 
144 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

that  the  Burgundians  intended  to  celebrate  the 
festival  with  great  magnificence,  and  desired  that 
the  dear  friends  and  relatives,  who  so  long  had 
tarried  far  away,  might  be  present. 

"  Ye  have  earned  rich  guerdon,  ye  men  from 
the  Rhine,"  spake  Siegfried,  when  he  heard  the 
story.  "  We  ourselves,  my  wife  Chriemhild 
and  I,  ofttimes  have  thought  to  journey  to  the 
Burgundians ;  that  shall  now  surely  be  done." 

Father  Siegmund,  too,  was  at  hand,  and  said 
that  he  also  would  go,  and  hoped  to  find  at 
Worms  still  many  a  doughty  knight  with  whom 
he  could  talk  of  old  times  and  battles  fought. 
After  all  this  had  been  talked  over,  preparations 
were  made  for  the  journey  to  the  Rhine. 

trees  whereon  were  hung  propitiatory  offerings  and 
lights,  in  return  for  which  the  gods  were  expected 
to  dispense  favors.  In  German,  the  very  name  for 
Christmas  (W eihnachten)  is  of  heathen  origin. 


TREACHERY  AND  MURDER 


GUNTHER,"  spake  Brunhild  one 
day  to  her  spouse,  "why  comes  not 
thy  brother-in-law  Siegfried,  like  other  subject 
princes,  to  our  court?  I  would  gladly  see  him 
here,  and  also  his  consort  Chriemhild,  thy  sister. 
Bid  them  that  they  come  to  court." 

"  I  have  already  told  thee,"  replied  the  chief- 
tain, "  that  my  brother-in-law  was,  like  myself, 
a  powerful  sovereign,  being  king  of  the  Nibe- 
lung  Land  and  now  also  of  the  Netherlands." 

"  Did  I  not,"  said  she,  "  in  Isenland  hear  him 
declare  he  was  your  vassal?  Wilt  thou  deny 
this?" 

"  That  was  only  for  appearance  sake,  to  fur- 
ther my  wooing,"  replied  he,  with  ill  humor. 

"And  thou  dost  deny  it,"  returned  she, 
"only  to  exalt  thy  sister's  station.1  But  I 
would  see  them  both  again  at  our  court." 

1  Among  the  early  Germans,  the  distinction  between 
bond  and  free  was  such  that  marriage  was  rarely  con- 
146 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

"  Very  well,"  said  he,  soothingly,  "  I  will  send 
messengers  to  summon  our  dear  kinsmen  to  the 
festival  of  the  summer  solstice,  which  bidding 
they  will  not  decline." 

He  went  and  did  as  he  had  said.  Brunhild 
stayed  behind  alone,  and  thought  of  many 
things : 

"  There  he  goes,  the  husband  of  the  once  so 
powerful  maiden,  who  weened  she  could  decide 
the  fate  of  battles,  like  the  Valkyrs1  in  the  time 
of  the  fathers ;  and  he,  a  weak  reed,  that  a 
breath  of  air  sways  hither  and  thither.  How 

tracted  across  the  caste  line.  Indeed,  among  the  Lom- 
bards such  marriage  was  a  capital  offence.  Later, 
when  kings,  to  secure  a  great  retinue  and  military 
service,  had  heaped  honors  and  wealth  upon  their  vas- 
sals, and  they  upon  similar  terms  had  obtained  a  lesser 
following,  the  powerful  vassal  became  the  rival  of 
his  lord  and  the  superior  of  the  poor  freeman.  The 
latter  often  bartered  his  freedom  for  the  protection 
of  some  powerful  bondman.  Thus  they  who  at  first 
were  literally  servants  of  the  crown  became  its  nobles, 
to  the  final  exclusion  of  those  whose  pretensions  rested 
upon  birth  alone. 

1  This  simile  was  doubtless  suggested  by  ths  older 
versions  of  the  myth,  where  Brunhild  was  a  Valkyr  in 
fact. 

H7 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

Siegfried  towers  above  him !  a  hero  to  whom 
the  world  belongs,  but  a  bondman  !  Truly  he 
could  never,  never  raise  his  eyes  to  the  Queen 
of  Isenland,  and  she  would  have  scorned  him, 
and  would  scorn  him  still  in  this  very  hour." 

The  distinguished  guests  from  the  Netherlands 
came  to  the  festival  of  the  summer  solstice,  and 
were  received  with  rejoicing.  Of  banquets  and 
tournaments  and  gala  processions,  and  of  the 
music  of  the  stringed  instruments,  there  was  no 
end.  The  hoary  Siegmund  grew  young  again, 
as  he  said,  when  he  recounted  his  battles,  and 
sociably  gossiped  about  the  good  old  times, 
with  Dame  Ute,  whom  he  had  known  as  a  little 
maiden.  The  young  queens  were  seen  always 
together.  They  went  arm  in  arm  to  the  tem- 
ple, or  to  the  banquet,  or  to  look  on  when  the 
valiant  knights  tried  their  strength  at  tilting. 
Only  to  the  chase  Chriemhild  did  not  accom- 
pany her  sister-in-law.  She  did  not  like  to  see 
the  shy  game  run  down  by  the  dogs  and  finished 
by  the  knights  with  their  spears. 

Once  she  was  looking  down  from  the  bal- 
cony, with  Brunhild,  upon  the  knightly  games, 
where  Siegfried,  in  the  throwing  of  the  stone, 

in  the  hurling  of  the  lance,  and  in  leaping  and 

148 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

running,  far  excelled  the  other  men.  In  the  joy 
of  her  heart,  she  spake : 

"  Ha  !  how  superb  my  Friedel1  looks  among 
the  knights,  like  the  moon  among  the  pale  stars! 
His  eyes  beam  like  sunlight ;  his  noble  head,  his 
powerful  form  betray  the  royal  hero." 

"  He  well  deserves  thy  praise,"  returned  Brun- 
hild ;  u  yet  must  he  yield  the  palm  to  my  hus- 
band." 

"By  my  faith!"  replied  Chriemhild,  "my 
brother  is  a  valiant  knight,  and  yet,  in  such 
games  he  cannot  compare  with  my  husband." 

"What!"  said  Brunhild.  "Did  he  not  win 
the  prize  at  Isenstein,  when  Siegfried  preferred  to 
go  and  look  after  the  boat  ?" 

"  Wilt  thou  accuse  the  Nibelung  hero,  the 
vanquisher  of  the  fiendish  dragon,  of  coward- 
ice ?"  cried  the  young  wife,  offended. 

"  He  is  far  inferior  to  the  king  of  the  Bur- 
gundians,"  answered  Brunhild :  "  for  he  is  a 
bondman,2  and  the  vassal  of  my  wedded  lord." 


1  A  German  word  for  "  beloved." 

2  Brunhild  insists  upon  this  depreciating  appella- 
tion, however  often  it  is  disputed.     Is  she  prompted 
by  love  or  by  hate? 

149 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

"  Thou  liest,  haughty  woman !"  exclaimed 
Chriemhild,  glowing  with  anger ;  "  thou  liest  for 
very  arrogance  !  How  could  my  brother  have 
given  me  to  a  bondman*?  Siegfried  is  inde- 
pendent king  of  Nibelung  Land  and  the  Nether- 
lands. The  one  kingdom  he  won  with  his  own 
hand,  the  other  he  inherited ;  and  I,  his  queen, 
may  carry  my  head  as  high  as  thou  thyself." 

"  Only  venture  it,  prating  wife  of  a  vassal ! 
I  will  go  before  thee  into  the  temple !" 

With  these  words,  Brunhild  left  the  balcony. 

"  Vassal !  my  beloved  husband,  honored  in 
all  lands,  a  vassal !  She  has  insulted  him  and  she 
shall  suffer  for  it,"  said  Chriemhild  to  herself. 

It  was  the  first  trouble  that  had  met  the 
hitherto  happy,  innocent  woman.  She  could 
not  forget  it.  She  went  to  her  apartments, 
donned  her  costliest  attire,  added  to  it  sparkling 
jewels  taken  from  the  Nibelung  hoard,  and 
betook  herself,  with  a  numerous  suite  of  women, 
maidens,  and  retainers,  to  the  temple.  There, 
already  awaiting  her,  stood  Brunhild  with  her 
suite.  She  would  have  passed  the  proud  woman 
in  silence,  but  Brunhild  called  to  her : 

"Wait   here,  wife  of  the  vassal,  until   thy 

queen  has  entered." 

150 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

"  Hadst  thou  kept  silence,"  said  Chriemhild, 
"  it  would  have  been  better  for  thee :  for  a  king's 
wife  has  certainly  precedence  of  a  paramour." 

"Art  thou  bereft  of  thy  senses'?"  returned 
Brunhild.  "  To  whom  here  wilt  thou  offer  this 
indignity  *?  That  shalt  thou  avow." 

"That  will  I  do,"  said  Chriemhild,  "and  I 
will  prove  its  truth  too,  when  I  have  returned 
from  the  temple." 

Passing  her  deadly  enemy,  she  entered  the 
house  of  God.  The  proud  queen  remained 
weeping  before  the  portal.  Shame  and  rage 
warred  in  her  bosom,  so  that  she  could  scarce 
await  the  end  of  the  choral  service.  At  last 
the  portal  opened  and  Chriemhild  appeared. 

"  Speak,  wife  of  a  slave,"  cried  Brunhild,  "  to 
justify  the  insult  that,  with  poisonous  tongue, 
thou  hast  thrust  upon  me  !" 

"  Wife  of  a  slave !"  repeated  Chriemhild,  as 
if  she  had  not  heard  the  other  words.  "  Know- 
est  thou  this  little  gold  ring1  on  my  hand  here, 
coiled  like  a  serpent?" 

1  In  the  history  of  this  finger-ring  we  see  an  un- 
mistakable reflection,  imperfect  as  it  is,  of  the  magic 
ring  in  the  Volsunga  Saga,  made  so  prominent  in 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

"  Ha,  my  gold  ring  that  I  have  long  missed  !" 
said  Brunhild.  "Now  I  know  who  stole  it 
from  me." 

"  Very  well,"  continued  the  former ;  "  thou 
wilt  also  remember  the  girdle  that  I  have  about 
me — silk  of  Nineveh  with  golden  buckles  and 
precious  stones.  Ring  and  girdle  were  torn 
from  thee  by  my  husband,  and  not  Gunther,  as, 
in  that  night  struggle,  he  proved  his  prowess 
greater  than  thine  own." 

Like  a  victorious  hero,  Chriemhild  passed 
on  her  away. 

The  proud  queen  remained  standing  with 
bowed  head,  as  if  rooted  to  the  spot  where  she 
had  received  the  insult. 

"  Let  the  Lord  of  the  Rhine  be  summoned," 
she  commanded,  "  that  he  may  learn  what  has 
happened  and  punish  this  audacity." 

Gunther  came  at  once,  and  inquired  why  she 
was  in  such  trouble.  When  he  learned  of  the 
occurrence,  he  said  to  the  distressed  woman  that 


Wagner's  operas,  which  Sigurd  (Siegfried)  once  be- 
stowed upon  Brynhild  and  afterwards  took  from  her 
again,  in  the  guise  of  Gunnar  (Gunther).  (See  pp. 
317-319.) 

152 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

he  would  send  for  Siegfried,  to  hear  from  him 
if  he  had  given  occasion  for  the  insult.  In  the 
Kings'  Hall,  in  the  presence  of  many  valiant 
knights,  he  received  the  hero,  and  informed  him 
of  what  had  taken  place.  Immediately  the 
knight  declared,  in  good  faith,  that  he  had  never 
said  anything  to  the  discredit  of  the  queen,  and 
one  should  not  put  an  evil  interpretation  upon 
that  which  was  spoken  by  women's  tongues. 
He  offered  to  confirm  his  statement  by  solemn 
oath.  Already,  standing  by  the  ring,1  he  raised 
his  hand  to  swear,  when  Gunther  said  he  would 
spare  him  the  oath,  since  his  spoken  word  was 
ever  true  and  sincere. 


1  In  museums  of  antiquities  there  are  still  preserved 
iron  rings,  somewhat  larger  than  a  bracelet  and  with 
an  opening  on  one  side,  which  were  once  in  use  in 
Germany  in  the  taking  of  oaths.  The  ring  was 
chained  to  a  wall,  or  post,  and  when  a  man  would 
solemnly  confirm  a  statement  he  grasped  this  ring  so 
that  his  hand  covered  the  opening,  and,  holding  it 
thus,  took  the  oath.  Siegfried  was  doubtless  lifting 
his  hand  to  such  a  ring  when  interrupted. 

For  details  of  the  old  Scandinavian  method  of  ad- 
ministering oaths  with  a  ring,  see  Encyclopedia  Bri~ 
tannica,  under  "  Oath." 

153 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

"  So  hear,  then,  men  of  Burgundia,"  said  the 
hero,  "  that  I  have  no  part  in  the  insult  which 
your  queen  has  suffered ;  that  I  have  ever  been 
impressed  with  her  virtue  and  found  her  without 
fault.  But  thou,  good  comrade  Gunther,  train 
thy  wife,  as  I  will  train  mine,1  that  nevermore 

1  Even  while  reverencing  womanhood,  the  ancient 
Germans  held  their  female  relatives  in  subjection,  and 
a  man  might  even  sell  his  wife  or  daughter.  Later, 
the  chivalric  knights  of  the  Middle  Ages  made  woman 
almost  an  object  of  worship,  and  prodigies  of  valor 
were  performed  to  win  her  favor ;  yet  the  idolized  fair 
one  was  usually  removed  from  the  prosaic  details  of 
her  adorer's  daily  life,  and  in  their  domestic  relations 
these  romantic  knights  were  not  free  from  the  re- 
proach of  tyranny;  indeed  they  often  treated  their 
wives  and  daughters  more  as  slaves  than  as  queens. 

The  following  passages  from  an  old  song  quoted  by 
M.  Saintine  in  his  Myths  of  the  Rhine,  translated  by 
Prof.  Schele  de  Vere,  gently  acquaint  us  with  some 
old  Teutonic  and  Celtic  usages : 

"  Two  young  people  have  just  had  their  union 
blessed  by  the  priests  under  the  sacred  oak.  On  the 
right  of  the  bride  a  Druid  intones  a  chant,  in  which  he 
enumerates,  in  solemn  rhythm,  all  the  troubles  and  all 
the  anxieties  which  await  her  in  wedded  life: 

"  '  From  this  day,  young  wife,  you  alone  will  have 
to  bear  all  the  burden  of  your  united  household. 
154 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

with  gossiping  tongues  they  disturb  our  peace." 
So  spake  the  valiant  knight,  and  left  the  hall. 

Yet  many  a  Burgundian  was  of  the  opinion 
that  a  great  wrong  to  their  queen  had  been 
perpetrated. 

'  You  will  have  to  attend  to  the  baking  oven,  to 
provide  fuel,  and  to  go  in  search  of  food;  you  will 
have  to  prepare  the  resinous  torch  and  the  lamp. 

"  '  You  will  wash  the  linen  at  the  fountain,  and 
you  will  make  up  all  the  clothing. 

"  '  You  will  attend  to  the  cow,  and  even  to  the  horse 
if  your  husband  requires  it. 

' '  Always  full  of  respect,  you  will  wait  upon  him, 
standing  behind  him  at  his  meals. 

'  If  he  chooses  to  take  more  wives,  you  will  re- 
ceive your  new  companions  with  sweetness. 

'  '  If  needs  be,  you  will  even  offer  to  nurse  the 
children  of  these  favorites,  and  all  from  obedience  to 
your  master. 

"  '  If  he  is  angry  against  you  and  strikes  you,  you 
will  pray  to  Esus,  the  only  God,  but  you  will  never 
blame  your  husband,  who  cannot  do  wrong. 

1 '  If  he  expresses  a  wish  to  take  you  with  him  to 
war,  you  will  accompany  him  to  carry  his  baggage, 
to  keep  his  arms  in  good  condition,  and  to  nurse  him 
if  he  should  be  sick  or  wounded. 

" '  Happiness  consists  in  the  fulfilment  of  duty. 
Be  happy,  my  child.'  " 

155 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

The  following  day  Brunhild  called  together 
her  maids  and  men  from  Isenland.  She  bade 
them  make  ready  for  a  journey  to  their  native 
land,  for  which  they  were  speedily  prepared. 
These  events  were  reported  to  the  king.  He, 
with  his  brothers  and  Hagen  and  the  other 
knights,  repaired  to  the  woman,  who,  in  her 
distress,  uttered  no  word.  He  told  her  how  the 
king  of  the  Netherlands  had  justified  himself, 
and  how  the  slander  of  his  wife  had  been 
proved  untrue.  He  spake  much  of  her  fame, 
which  was  spread  through  all  lands ;  the  other 
knights  also  sought  to  console  her.  They  all 
deemed  it  would  be  a  disgrace  to  Burgundia 
should  the  queen  forsake  the  kingdom  where 
many  a  year  she  had  lived  in  happiness  and 
reigned  together  with  the  king.  She  sat  there, 
her  eyes  fixed,  unmoved,  speechless,  like  a 
stone  image  upon  which  the  faithful  call  for 
help. 

"  We  will  not  let  thee  go  hence,"  cried  the 
king ;  "  we  offer  thee  any  price  in  atonement 
for  the  thoughtless  speech  of  my  sister.  Speak  ! 
what  dost  thou  demand  *?" 

She  rose,  gazed  over  the  circle,  and  said,  with 
hollow,  unnatural  voice : 

156 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

"  Blood !" 

The  Burgundians  looked  from  one  to  another 
confounded,  and  none  dared  interpret  the  word. 
She  continued,  undismayed : 

"  Not  the  flood  of  the  Rhine,  should  I  sink 
myself  beneath  it,  could  wash  this  stain  from 
mine  honor ;  that  can  be  done  only  by  the  life- 
blood  of  a  man." 

The  agitation,  the  consternation  among  the 
knights  was  ever  increasing.  Then  Hagen 
came  forward,  and  said : 

"  Have  the  bold  Burgundians  grown  de- 
crepit? have  they  become  children  again*? 
Then  will  I  interpret  the  speech.  Our  queen 
demands  Siegfried's  lifeblood.  Ha !  how  ye 
start !  how  ye  flinch  at  the  word  !" 

"  No  one  in  all  the  world  can  stand  against 
the  Nibelung  hero." 

"  Whoso  challenges  him,  goes  hand  in  hand 
with  death." 

"  He  is  not  guilty  of  the  thing  with  which 
they  would  charge  him." 

So  the  Burgundians  talked  among  them- 
selves. Then  the  grim  Hagen  confronted 
Brunhild. 

"  Woman,"  said  he,  "  it  pleased  me  not  that 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

Gunther  went  wooing  to  Isenland;  but  now 
that  thou  art  our  queen,  thou  shalt  be  held  in 
honor,  and  I  will  accomplish  for  thee  that  which 
thou  demandest." 

To  him  the  young  Giselher  replied  : 

"  Evil  for  good  ?  Is  that  the  custom  in  Bur- 
gundia*?  Did  not  Siegfried  serve  us  faithfully 
in  war's  distress,  and  bring  us  victory  and  fame  *? 
I  have  no  part  in  such  counsels." 

"  I  shall  accomplish  the  deed  secretly,"  said 
Hagen,  "  that  he  cannot  swing  Balmung 
against  me ;  and  thou,  Volker,  wilt  be  my  help- 
mate." 

"  Thy  helpmate  in  all  things  right,"  said  the 
minstrel ;  "  that  did  I  swear  when,  shield  to 
shield,  we  fought  in  the  land  of  the  Moors ;  for 
felon's  work  get  to  thyself  another  mate." 

"  That  will  I  myself  be,"  spake  Ortewin,  the 
knight.  "  Siegfried  gave  ring  and  girdle  to  his 
wife ;  of  that  he  is  guilty,  and  therewith  was  an 
indignity  put  upon  our  queen." 

"  I  think  to  do  the  deed  without  assistance," 
said  the  Tronjan. 

"  To  all  that  I  would  object,"  interposed 
Gunther ;  "  such  murder  is  a  dishonor  for  all 

Burgundia.     That  must  the  king  avert." 

158 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

"Lord  of  the  Rhineland,"  cried  Brunhild, 
"  three  days'  grace  I  give  thee ;  then  I  depart  for 
Isenland,  or  thou  dost  avenge  me." 

She  left  the  assembled  knights,  who  took  fur- 
ther counsel  together. 

"Neither  lance  nor  sword  harms  the  hero," 
remarked  the  Margrave  Gere.  "  He  has  bathed 
himself  in  dragon's  blood,  and  only  in  one 
spot,  which  was  covered  by  a  linden  leaf,  can 
he  be  wounded." 

"  Should  he  become  aware  of  the  treacherous 
plot,"  added  Sindolt,  the  chamberlain, "  he  would 
take  possession  of  our  whole  kingdom,  with  his 
thousand  Nibelungs." 

"  I  think  to  accomplish  it  by  cunning,  so 
that  we  shall  remain  unhurt,  and  our  queen  be 
avenged,"  spake  the  grim  Hagen. 

But  the  king  was  unsettled  in  his  mind; 
he  fain  would,  and  also  he  fain  would  not. 
The  knights  parted  without  coming  to  a  de- 
cision. 

Brunhild  remained  locked  in  her  chamber. 
In  vain  Gunther  knocked  at  the  portal.  In 
vain  Chriemhild  with  tears  implored  that  she 
would  grant  her  admittance  ;  she  would  confess 
herself  in  the  wrong  before  all  the  people.  Only 

159 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

the  grim  Hagen  received  admittance,  and  talked 
long  with  the  queen.  Thereupon  he  betook 
himself  to  Gunther. 

"  Lord  of  the  Rhine,"  said  he,  "  there  is  no 
other  way,  if  thy  queen  is  to  be  preserved  to  us, 
than  that  thou  shouldest  consent  to  my  plan. 
'  He  or  I,'  so  spake  she  to  me,  and  she  has  so 
daring  a  spirit  that  she  ever  doth  what  seemeth 
to  her  good." 

The  king  wavered  still.  But  when  on  the 
third  day  he  learned  that  Brunhild  made  ready 
for  departure,  then  he  consented  to  the  evil 
counsel  of  his  uncle. 

Emissaries  from  Llidegast  and  Llideger  now 
appeared  at  the  court  of  Worms,  announcing  a 
new  feud. 

Both  kings  purposed,  with  an  invincible 
army,  to  at  once  invade  Burgundia  and  take 
revenge  for  their  last  defeat.  The  emissaries 
wore  Danish  and  Saxon  armor,  and  no  one 
doubted  that  they  came  from  the  kingdoms  of 
the  Danes  and  Saxons.  It  was  immediately 
decided  to  summon  the  vassals  of  the  kingdom  ; 
yet  Siegfried  was  of  the  opinion  that,  with  the 
knights  at  court  and  his  Nibelungs,  he  could 
alone  resist  the  hostile  power.  The  women 

160 


SIEGFRIED'S  LIFE 

were  bidden  to  prepare  the  war  apparel 1  of  the 
heroes,  which  the  noble  Chriemhild  did  with 
greatest  care.  She  sat  heavy-hearted  at  her 
work,2  when  Hagen  came  to  her  and  to  her 

1  Over  the  armor  was  worn  a  loose  garment  of  fine 
cloth  or   silk,  confined  at  the  waist  by   a  girdle  or 
scarf.      This   costume   was   not   exclusively   German, 
but  was  common  to  all  European  knights.     The  color 
of  the  scarf  often  indicated  nationality,  the  English 
wearing  red,  and  the   French,  white.     Some  of  the 
French  nobles  added  their  family  colors  to  their  scarfs 
and  to  those  of  their  vassals,  and  called  these  latter 
livree    (Eng.,   livery).      Philip   Augustus   of   France, 
Richard  I.  of  England,  and  two  English  parliaments 
have  forbidden  extravagant  costliness  in  these  trap- 
pings. 

2  In  the  Middle  Ages,   division  of  labor  was  but 
little    appreciated    or    practised,    and    whatever    was 
needed  for  home  consumption  was  prepared,  so  far 
as  possible,  by  each  family  for  itself.     The  care  of 
the  wardrobe  for  both  men  and  women  was  under- 
taken by  women  of  the  household;   and,  in  the  apart- 
ments reserved  for  their  use,  each  housewife  was  ac- 
customed to  superintend  her  maids  in  their  spinning, 
weaving,  and  needle-work,  whatever  her  rank,  taking 
upon  herself  a  fair  share  of  the  manual  labor.     We 
know  that  the  wife  and  daughters  of  Charlemagne 
were  diligent  in  spinning  and  weaving;    and  a  silver 

«  161 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

maids  and  bade  them  be  comforted ;  for,  since 
Siegfried's  powerful  body  had  been  bathed  in 
dragon's  blood,  it  could  not  be  harmed  by 
weapons. 

"  Good  hero,"  said  she,  "  my  Friedel  is  so 
daring  that  he  rushes  through  the  midst  of  the 
foe.  In  the  storm  of  battle  a  spear  might 
easily  strike  him  on  the  one  spot  where  he  is 
vulnerable." 

He  bade  her  mark  Siegfried's  garment  at 
this  spot  with  a  cross ;  then  he,  with  his  shield, 
would  faithfully  protect  his  fellow-warrior.  She 
promised  to  do  according  to  his  word,  and 
immediately  embroidered  with  silver  thread  a 
little  cross  upon  the  garment.  However,  her 
trouble  was  in  vain,  for  the  very  next  day  other 
emissaries  appeared,  who  stated  that  the  kings 
would  fain  keep  the  promised  peace,  if  it  were 
permitted  them.  So  the  warlike  preparations 
became  unnecessary,  and  Gunther  commanded 
that  the  knights,  instead  of  taking  the  field, 
should  be  invited  to  a  great  hunt  over  the  Rhine 


spindle  ornamented  the  tomb  of  Luitgarde,  daughter 
of  Otto  the  Great,  first  Emperor  of  Germany,  indi- 
cating the  industrious  habits  of  that  princess. 

162 


SIEGFRIED'S  LIFE 

in  the  Spessart  Forest,1  where  many  beasts  of 
prey  and  deer  also  found  shelter. 

Glowing  red  the  sun  rose  from  behind  the 
mountains  and  tinged  the  waves  of  the  Rhine 
till  they  flowed  like  blood.  Chriemhild  waked 
suddenly  from  sleep.  She  had  had  troubled 
dreams.  By  her  couch  stood  Siegfried,  gay  and 
unconcerned  as  ever.  He  was  going  to  the 
chase.  Below  in  the  court  neighed  the  spirited 
stallions. 

"  Siegfried,"  she  exclaimed,  "  go  not  to  the 
chase, — -just  not  to-day.  I  dreamed  that  two 
ferocious  wild  boars  had  followed  thee ;  then  I 
saw  thee  no  more,  but,  instead,  a  stream  of 
blood  that  flowed  over  the  heath.  Horror 
seized  upon  me,  so  that  I  shook  as  in  a  fever 
and  awoke.  When  I  heard  thee  breathing 
quietly  I  tried  to  sleep  again.  But  scarcely  did 
this  happen  when  I  saw  thee  once  again, — for 
only  of  thee  do  I  think  by  day  and  by  night. 
Thou  didst  ride  through  a  pass  between  two 
mountains;  then  the  earth  trembled,  and  the 
mountains  fell  upon  thee,  and  piled  themselves 
in  a  funeral  pyre.  Thou  knowest  how  I  started 


1  See  note  2,  p.  167. 
163 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

up  and  trembled,  until  I  saw  thee  before  me, 
safe  as  the  heavens  above  us." 

"So,  too,  from  the  chase  shall  I  return  to 
thee,  my  precious  love,"  said  Siegfried,  as  he 
clasped  his  dear  one  lovingly  in  his  arms. 

She  disengaged  herself  from  his  embrace, 
looked  with  anxiety  and  tenderness  into  his 
sunny  eyes,  and  continued : 

"  The  dreams  indicate  a  great  misfortune 
which  will  overtake  thee,  and  thou  art  mine 
only  treasure,  for  whom  I  would  resign  all  the 
kingdoms  of  the  world,  the  Nibelung  hoard, 
and  all  riches.  If  only  thou  art  spared  me  I 
will  follow  thee  into  far  and  desert  lands,  even 
were  I  reduced  to  beggary.  Go  not  to  the 
chase  ;  stay  just  this  day  with  me." 

Again  the  hero  lovingly  embraced  and  kissed 
her,  and  she  clung  to  him,  as  if  she  would 
never  lose  her  hold  of  the  husband  so  dear  to 
her. 

"  Be  comforted,  dear  wife,"  said  he ;  "  why,  I 
am  among  good  comrades  and  friends,  where  no 
evil  can  befall  me.  Then,  I  carry  Balmung 
with  me  and  a  sharp  lance.  Ha  !  I  should  like 
to  look  upon  him  who  would  dare  to  pit  him- 
self against  me !" 

164 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

The  hunting-horns  summoned  to  the  merry 
chase.1 

"  Dost  thou  hear,"  cried  he,  "  how  the  horns 
call*?  My  comrades  would  mock  me  if  they 
were  told  that  for  a  dream's  sake  I  stayed  away 
from  the  hunt." 

He  kissed  his  loving  wife  once  more,  and 
hurried  away.  She  watched  him  from  the  win- 
dow ;  she  waved  her  hand ;  and  he,  with  ringing 
tones,  returned  her  greeting,  as,  in  advance  of 
the  huntsmen,  he  rode  through  the  portal. 

"  The  horns  call,"  said  she ;  "  they  call  to 
death." 

She  was  shocked  at  her  own  words. 

It  was  a  joyous  ride  through  the  blooming 
fields  and  sombre  pine  woods  and  farther  into 
the  depths  of  the  green  mountains,  to  the  quar- 

1  From  the  earliest  times  the  Germans  seem  to  have 
been  devoted  to  the  pleasures  of  hunting — indeed,  to 
have  once  regarded  arms  and  the  chase  as  the  only 
two  occupations  worthy  of  a  hero.  When  the  vast 
forests  of  Europe  harbored  innumerable  wild  beasts, 
inimical  to  human  life  and  property,  and  when  the 
supply  of  meat  for  food  was  obtainable  chiefly  from 
this  source,  obedience  to  the  horn  of  the  huntsman  may 
well  have  been  regarded  a  duty  as  well  as  a  pleasure. 
165 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

ter  where  the  hunt  should  begin.  The  hunts- 
men distributed  themselves ;  the  setters  and 
powerful  bloodhounds  were  uncoupled;  the 
timid  game  was  started.  Siegfried  was  now 
in  thicket,  now  in  glade.  His  arrow  and  his 
spear  brought  down,  at  incredible  distance,  stags 
and  deer,  likewise  wolves  and  grim  bears.  Many 
a  wolf  he  slew  with  the  sword.  An  aurochs, 
rushing  upon  him,  he  felled  to  the  ground  with 
powerful  fist.  The  huntsmen  thought  he  would 
exterminate  all  the  game.  Nevertheless,  the 
other  knights  found  abundant  prey. 

In  the  afternoon,  as  they  came  together  for 
their  repast,  another  bear  ran  by.  The  hero 
started  in  pursuit,  overcame  him,  bound  him, 
and  brought  the  beast  to  the  assembled  knights. 
Here  he  loosed  his  bands  and  set  the  hounds  on 
the  black-coat,  to  afford  diversion  for  his  friends. 
But  Master  Bruin  struck  about  so  vigorously 
with  his  paws  that  the  dogs  retreated  howling. 
He,  however,  got  among  the  cooking  utensils, 
threw  into  confusion  pots,  kettles,  and  pans,  and 
then  made  desperately  for  the  depths  of  the 
forest.  There  Siegfried  overtook  him  and  slew 
him  with  his  sword. 

The  knights  sat  at  their  repast.     Roasted  and 

1 66 


SIEGFRIED'S  LIFE 

stewed  game,  delicately  prepared  trout,1  pike, 
and  carp  were  served;  but  the  cup-bearers 
brought  no  wine ;  they  said  that  Hagen  had 
had  it  carried  across  into  the  distant  deep 
valley. 

"  Ah,  faithless  comrade  !"  cried  Siegfried ; 
"  wilt  thou  let  us  perish  of  thirst  *?  Had  we 
but  tarried  on  the  Rhine,  that,  after  the  heat  of 
the  hunt,  would  have  given  us  to  drink  in  abun- 
dance." 

"  That  happened  by  no  fault  of  mine,"  said 
Hagen.  "  I  thought  that  we  should  rest  over 
there,  on  the  other  side  of  the  mountain,  and 
had  the  wine  taken  there.  But,  hard  by,  I  know 
a  spring2  of  delicious  water,  there  in  the  meadow- 

1  This  is  a  free  rendering  of  blaugesottene  Forellen, 
which  are  much  esteemed  in  Germany  at  the  present 
day.     The  fish  is  carefully  washed,  so  as  not  to  break 
its  outer  shiny  coat,  and  then  boiling  vinegar  is  poured 
over  it  and  allowed  to  stand  about  fifteen  minutes  to 
give  it  the  desirable  bluish  shade.     After  this  it  is 
boiled  in  the  usual  manner. 

2  Over  fifty  years  ago  the  Hessian  minister  of  state, 
Knapp,  discovered  in  the  Oden  Forest  a  "  Siegfried 
Spring,"  which  Dr.  Wagner  thus  describes: 

"  It  is  a  freely-gushing  fountain,  surrounded  by 
167 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

land,  where  the  lindens  rear  their  heads  above 
the  thicket,  and  where  the  flowers  bloom  freshest. 
I  should  like  to  try  if  in  a  race  I  should  not  reach 
it  sooner  than  the  swift  Siegfried." 

"  Thou  art  a  valiant  knight,"  said  the  hero 
of  the  Netherlands,  "  yet  I  ween  thou  couldst 
not  well  outrun  me ;  and  I  will  carry  sword, 
quiver,  and  lance,  but  thou  mayest  run  unbur- 
dened." 

Both  knights  raced  up  the  meadow  towards 
the  lindens.  The  field  flowers  sought  to  stay 
the  bold  Siegfried,  and  the  branches  of  the  trees 
waved  him  back,  and  the  birds  in  the  lindens 
sang  mournfully,  as  if  they  would  say  :  "  Turn 
thee  back,  noble  hero,  thy  betrayer  is  behind 
thee." 

Siegfried  understood  not  the  speech  of  the 

lofty  trees,  near  Gras  Ellenbach,  not  far  from  Linden- 
fels.  Among  the  country  people  of  the  vicinity  the 
legend  was  current  that  near  this  spring  a  famous 
man  of  noble  birth  had  once  been  murdered.  This 
part  of  the  forest,  moreover,  is  called  Spessart,  and, 
from  Worms,  it  can  easily  be  reached  in  one  day  on 
horseback."  All  this  agrees  with  the  statements  of 
our  song,  which  makes  explicit  mention  of  Spessart 
Forest  (p.  163). 

168 


SIEGFRIED'S  LIFE 

flowers,  the  trees,  and  the  birds.1     He  put  his 
trust  in  his  friends  and  in  himself. 

"  Oh,  how  slowly  thou  creepest, — like  a  snail !" 
cried  he  to  the  panting  Hagen,  who  followed ; 
"  but,  by  my  troth,  thou  art  a  lusty  runner,  and 
none  other  in  Burgundia  will  overtake  thee. 
Here,  now,  is  the  bright  spring  that  willingly 
bestows  its  clear  waters  upon  the  wayworn 
knight.  Howbeit,  the  prince  of  the  land  shall 
take  the  first  draught ;  meantime  we  will  devote 
ourselves  to  resting  in  the  cool  shade  of  the 
lindens." 

He  laid  sword,  quiver,  and  lance  aside,  and 
threw  himself  carelessly  upon  the  flowery  green- 
sward. 

• 

"Art  to-day  a  grouty  comrade!"   continued 

1  It  is  a  little  singular  that  the  Lied  should  strip 
Siegfried  of  this  power  attributed  to  him  in  the  old 
legends.  The  Eddas  not  only  make  him  understand 
the  speech  of  birds,  but  render  this  fact  important 
to  the  plot  (see  note  on  p.  59).  We  observe  here  the 
tendency  of  the  twelfth  century,  whether  on  account 
of  the  advance  of  civilization  or  of  the  direct  teachings 
of  Christianity,  to  reject  the  extravagant  elements  of 
the  Teutonic  mythology  and  make  it  more  human, 
linking  it  with  the  historic. 
169 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

he,  turning  to  Hagen ;  "and  yet  the  sun  shines 
brightly  and  heaven  and  earth  smile  upon  us,  as 
if  even  they  took  pleasure  in  our  merry  sport. 
We  have  made  great  havoc  among  the  trouble- 
some beasts  that  spoil  the  herds  and  the  harvest 
of  the  husbandman.  Here  they  come,  at  last, 
the  gallant  comrades.  Now  then,  Gunther, 
good  brother,  thou  shalt  have  the  first  draught 
from  this  bright  spring  that  gushes  from  the 
mountain  side." 

Gunther  stooped  down  and  drank  of  the  cool 
water.  Then  Siegfried  came  up. 

"  I  think  to  drink  a  deeper  draught,"  said  he ; 
"  but  do  not  be  troubled,  noble  knights :  the 
spring  will  flow  none  the  less  freely ;  water  in 
abundance  is  always  running  in.  It  is  like  the 
world  of  men :  a  part  is  ever  disappearing  in  the 
earth,  a  part  ever  coming  to  the  light  of  day. 
Of  this  there  is  no  end."1 

"  So  it  is,"  said  Hagen.  "  Of  what  account  is 
the  life  of  a  man  ?" 

Meantime,  the  Nibelung  hero  had  bowed  him- 
self over  the  spring,  and  was  thirstily  drinking 

1  This   simile    suggests   Tennyson's   Brook :     "  For 
men  may  come  and  men  may  go,  But  I  go  on  forever." 
170 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

in  deep  draughts.  Thereupon  Hagen  hurriedly 
put  out  of  reach  Siegfried's  sword  and  quiver, 
seized  also  his  lance,  took  aim,  and  pierced  him 
just  through  the  cross  which  Chriemhild  had  so 
carefully  embroidered  upon  his  mantle,  between 
the  shoulders,  so  that  the  spearhead,  thrust 
through  back  and  breast,  protruded  cruelly. 
The  mortally  wounded  man  sprang  to  his  feet, 
looked  for  his  sword,  and,  not  finding  it,  took 
the  shield,  and  with  it  felled  the  assassin  to  the 
ground.  More  he  could  not  do.  His  face  was 
blanched;  the  shaft  of  death  cut  keen.  The 
royal  hero  sank  down  among  the  fragrant  flow- 
ers, dyed  rose-red  from  his  streaming  blood ; 
red,  too,  was  the  spring  that  had  flowed  so  silver 
clear,  and  red  were  the  heavens  from  the  setting 
sun.  It  was  as  if  they  blushed  for  the  treach- 
erous deed. 

Yet  once  again  the  hero  raised  his  noble, 
weary  head,  and,  glancing  about  the  circle,  said : 

"  Blood-thirsty  dogs !  what  wrong  have  I 
done  ye  *?  Had  I  perceived  your  treachery,  ye 
would  all  now  be  lying  there  slain  by  my  hand. 
A  demon  moved  ye  to  this  perfidy ;  for  ye  ven- 
tured not  to  meet  me  face  to  face  in  open  fight ; 
and  Hagen,  the  cowardly  wolf,  must  execute 

171 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

the  vile  scheme.  In  the  far  future  your  names 
will  be  the  ones  recalled  when  the  talk  is  of  cow- 
ardly traitors.  Purblind  King  Gunther !  thou 
who  art  dishonored  by  treacherous  crime,  hear 
the  words  of  the  dying :  Protect  my  wife,  for 
she  is  thy  sister ;  protect  my  unhappy  wife  from 
Hagen."  These  were  the  last  words  of  the 
royal  hero. 

Around  the  body,  in  a  circle,  the  knights 
stood  speechless.  The  evil  deed,  the  words  of 
the  dying  man,  came  home  to  their  hearts  and 
burned  like  tongues  of  flame.  Gunther  at  last 
broke  the  silence : 

"  We  will  say  to  the  folk,  who  loved  him 
who  has  been  slain,  that  robbers  have  murdered 
him.  Then,  too,  Chriemhild  will  hold  us  blame- 
less." 

"  I  would  advise  against  that,"  said  the  Tron- 
jan.  "  I  conceal  nothing  that  my  cunning 
and  my  hand  have  wrought.  Now  has  our 
queen  the  revenge  for  which  she  thirsted,  and 
which  is  her  due,  and  in  Burgundia  we  are  safe 
from  all  enemies;  for  there  neither  has  been 
born  in  the  world,  nor  ever  will  be,  a  knight 
who  could  be  like  unto  Siegfried,  and  stand 

against  us.     What  care  I  for  the  clamor  of  the 

172 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

people  or  the  wailing  of  a  woman !  Make  a 
bier  from  the  branches  of  trees,  that  the  dead 
knight  may  be  borne  to  Worms.  Ha  !  there  is 
Balmung,  his  good  sword ;  that  can  here  render 
its  last  service  to  its  old  master  and  its  first  to  its 


new  one." 


And,  since  no  other  hand  was  raised,  the 
knight  energetically  hewed  branches  from  the 
trees  and  interwove  them  for  a  bier;  undis- 
mayed, too,  he  laid  the  body  upon  it.  Then 
the  funeral  train  began  its  march. 

Late  in  the  night  the  huntsmen  reached  the 
city  and  the  palace.  It  seemed  as  if  horror 
emanated  from  the  dead  hero ;  nor  knight,  nor 
menial  dared  touch  him.  Hagen  railed  at 
them  for  cowardly  knaves,  lifted  alone  the  body 
to  his  shoulders,  carried  it  into  the  palace,  and 
laid  it  before  Chriemhild's  door.  Early  in  the 
morning  she  was  about  to  go  to  the  temple; 
she  called  a  chamberlain,  and  as  he  saw  a  dead 
man,  whom  in  the  dim  light  he  did  not  recog- 
nize, lying  at  the  entrance,  he  reported  it  to  the 
anxious  woman. 

"  It  is  Siegfried !"  she  shrieked.  "  Brunhild 
has  instigated  and  Hagen  done  this  murder !" 

Lights  were  brought,  and  they  saw  that  she 
173 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

had  spoken  truly.  The  grief  and  pain  of  the 
unhappy  woman  were  inexpressible.  She  threw 
herself  upon  the  body  of  her  husband,  and  her 
tears  flowed  so  profusely,  that  with  them  she 
washed  his  face  free  from  its  stains  of  blood. 
Now  he  lay  there  before  her,  the  light-hearted 
valiant  hero,  cold,  stiff,  white,  motionless.  He 
who  was  wont  to  clasp  her  in  his  arms,  he  would 
smile  upon  her  never,  nevermore.  "Never- 
more"— the  terrible  word  came  ever  again  to 
mind.  How  gladly  had  she  died  with  him ! 
how  gladly  gone  with  him  to  the  tomb !  or, 
according  to  the  belief  of  the  fathers,  to  the 
halls  of  Freya!1 

The  hoary  Siegmund,  too,  received  tidings  of 
the  horrible  event.  He  came  and  looked  upon 

1  The  goddess  Freya,  as  leader  of  the  Valkyrs,  wel- 
comed to  the  abodes  of  the  blest,  heroes  of  stainless 
courage  whose  career  on  earth  was  finished.  As  a 
wife  of  Wotan,  she  had  an  equal  claim  with  him  upon 
the  warriors  slain.  Half  were  Freya's,  half  Wo- 
tan's.  A  death  by  violence  was  necessary  to  insure 
admission  to  the  halls  of  Valhalla,  while  those  dying 
of  disease  or  under  suspicion  of  cowardice  were  con- 
demned to  descend  to  the  realms  of  the  goddess  Hel. 
(See  note  2,  p.  190.) 

174 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

his  only  son, — disfigured,  slain.  Not  in  the  storm 
of  battle ;  no  !  but  by  a  murderer's  hand.  He 
uttered  no  moan,  but  his  heart  was  like  to  break. 
He  uncovered  the  gaping  wounds,  and  kissed 
them  as  if  he  hoped  to  wake  the  dead.  Then 
he  raised  himself  upright ;  the  old  spirit  stirred 
within  him. 

"Murder!  Revenge!"  he  cried.  "Rise, 
Nibelungs !  rise  to  avenge  your  hero  !" 

With  these  words  he  hurried  to  the  court, 
and  the  Nibelungs,  hearing  his  call,  made  haste 
to  follow,  and  gathered  in  arms  about  the  aged 
man,  who  demanded  sword  and  armor.  But 
the  weapon  fell  from  his  trembling  hands.  He 
himself,  overcome  by  pain  and  exertion,  sank 
fainting  to  the  ground.  Round  about,  weapons 
bristled  in  the  hands  of  the  Burgundians,  and  the 
grim  Hagen  brought  up  multitudes  more.  The 
Nibelungs,  gnashing  their  teeth,  retreated  to  their 
quarters. 

On  the  third  day  the  precious  body  was 
brought  into  the  temple  to  be  blessed  by  the  hand 
of  the  priest.  The  folk  crowded  to  the  scene ; 
each  desired  to  see  the  hero  in  death,  who  in 
life  had  fought  for  Burgundia,  who  had  rescued 
the  princess  from  the  dragon,  and  who  had  dis- 

175 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

pensed  such  rich  gifts.  Chriemhild  stood  by  the 
coffin,  which  was  uncovered  and  ornamented 
with  gold  and  precious  stones.  She  wept  no 
more :  only  her  reddened  eyes,  her  blanched 
cheeks,  and  the  trembling  of  her  limbs  betrayed 
the  inward  pain.  Through  the  crowd  there 
passed  a  closely-veiled  woman.  None  knew 
who  she  was, — only  Chriemhild  recognized  her. 

"  Back,  murderess  !"  cried  she  to  her ;  "  back  ! 
that  the  dead  rise  not  against  thee  !" 

The  unknown  woman  disappeared  in  the 
throng.  And  now  the  Burgundian  knights,  ac- 
cording to  custom,  marched  around  the  bier. 

As  Hagen  approached  the  bier,  the  wounds 
of  the  dead  broke  open  afresh,1  and  the  blood 


1  It  was  a  popular  superstition,  not  only  in  Ger- 
many, but  also  in  England,  and  yet  more  especially 
in  Scotland,  that  the  wounds  of  one  who  had  been 
murdered  would  bleed  afresh  at  the  approach  of  the 
murderer.  As  late  as  1688,  in  a  case  tried  in  the 
High  Court  of  Justiciary  in  Edinburgh,  there  was  an 
express  statement  in  the  indictment  that  the  wounds 
of  the  corpse  had  thus  miraculously  bled  at  the  touch 
of  the  accused;  and  in  the  charge  to  the  jury  special 
stress  was  laid  upon  this  evidence. 

In  the  literature  of  all  northern  nations  there  arc 
176 


THE^K 


UNIVERSITY 


SIEGFRIED'S  LIFE 

streamed  from  them,  warm  as  the  hour  of  the 
murder. 

44  Venture  not  to  stand  here,  assassin !"  said 
Chriemhild  ;  "  see  how  the  dead  accuses  thee  !" 

The  knight  stood  still,  but  replied : 

44 1  hide  not  what  my  hand  has  done.  It  was 
performed  in  good  faith  towards  my  liege  lord 
and  his  queen." 

Could  Chriemhild  have  had  a  sword  and  the 
strength  of  a  man,  she  would  have  slain  the 
knight  in  the  temple. 

In  honor  of  the  murdered  king,  many  gifts,  in 
gold,  silver,  and  garments,  were  dispensed  among 
those  who  were  needy.  On  the  fourth  day  the 
earth  received  that  which  was  its  own.  With 
grand  ceremony  the  body  of  the  royal  hero  was 

allusions  to  this  belief.  In  Shakespeare's  Richard 
III.,  Act  I.,  Scene  2,  where  Lady  Anne,  at  the  bier  of 
Henry  VI.,  encounters  his  murderer,  she  exclaims: 

"O  gentlemen,  see,  see!   dead  Henry's  wounds 
Open  their  congeal'd  mouths,  and  bleed  afresh!" 

Scott  introduces  this  appeal  to  the  judgment  of 
Heaven,  in  the  funeral  ceremonies  for  Oliver  Proud- 
f  ute,  in  the  Fair  Maid  of  Perth.  Many  other  instances 
might  be  cited,  but  probably  none  of  date  prior  to  the 
Nibelungen  Lied. 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

laid  in  the  tomb.  It  was  a  richly  adorned  vault, 
over  which  rose  a  high  mound.  Chriemhild 
followed  into  the  still  chamber.  There,  once 
more,  at  her  command,  the  coffin  was  opened. 
She  kissed  the  pale  face  of  her  loved  one,  she 
flooded  it  with  her  tears.  Her  women  were 
obliged  to  carry  her  away,  for  she  would  have 
stayed  with  him  forever.  Without  stood  the 
Tronjan,  unmoved  as  ever,  grimly  staring  in. 
He  gave  utterance  to  his  favorite  saying : 

"  That  which  is,  must  be ;  so  have  the  Norns 
ordained." 

The  queen  heard  him  not,  nor  saw  she 
Gunther,  nor  Gernot,  nor  the  many  knights 
who  were  vainly  seeking  to  conceal  their  dis- 
tress and  remorse :  her  thoughts  were  with  the 
dead. 

Siegmund  and  the  Nibelungs  made  ready  for 
the  journey  home.  They  wished  to  take  the 
mourning  widow  with  them,  that  she  might  not 
suffer  further  harm  at  the  hands  of  the  faithless 
Burgundians ;  but  she  was  unwilling  to  depart 
from  the  spot  where  Siegfried's  body  rested. 
She  bade  the  aged  king  and  the  Margrave  Eck- 
wart  faithfully  to  care  for  her  little  son  in  the 

Netherlands,  that  he  might  grow  in  likeness  to 

178 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

his  father.  He  was,  she  said,  an  orphan, — father- 
less ;  perhaps,  too,  motherless ;  for  she  herself 
had  but  one  wish, — she  whispered  it  low  in  the 
ear  of  the  old  man, — that  of  revenge.  Only  of 
Dame  Ute,  who,  like  her  daughter,  mourned  for 
the  slain  hero,  and  of  Giselher,  the  youth,  did 
Siegmund  take  leave.  Then,  with  his  followers, 
he  entered  upon  the  journey  to  the  Netherlands. 
The  heron  of  oblivion,  as  the  Norse  song 
says,  sweeps  over  the  children  of  mortal  men 
and  bears  away  on  its  pinions  many  a  grief.  So 
Chriemhild  seemed  gradually  more  tranquil,  and 
even  reconciled  to  her  brother.  Only  the  grim 
Hagen  she  looked  upon  with  horror,  and  avoided 
his  presence.  Even  so  did  she  shun  Brunhild, 
and,  when  once  she  encountered  her  at  the  tomb 
of  her  husband,  she  drove  her  away  with  cutting 
words.  She  expressed  to  her  brother  the  wish 
to  bring  the  Nibelung  treasure  to  Worms,  since 
it  was  her  rightful  heritage.  Gunther,  pleased 
that  she  again  placed  confidence  in  him,  con- 
sented gladly.  Great  numbers  of  men  and 
valiant  knights  were  sent  with  a  message  from 
her  to  the  Nibelungs ;  and  Alberich,  without 
hesitation,  delivered  up  the  immeasurable  hoard. 

For  several  days  twelve  carts  were  bringing 
179 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

out  the  treasures  from  the  hollow  mountain; 
and  many  beasts  of  burden  were  needed  to 
transport  them  to  Burgundia. 

The  queen  was  lavish  with  her  wealth  to  the 
people,  and  whereso  a  good  knight  she  found, 
there  she  bestowed  gold,  armor,  weapons,  and 
even  daily  stipend  ;  whereby  she  gradually  gath- 
ered a  small  army  about  her,  which  day  by  day 
increased. 

Hagen  spake  to  the  kings  concerning  this 
conduct.  He  said  the  woman  was  thinking  of 
revenge.  It  was  not  that  he  prized  his  life,  but 
she  would  finally  gain  all  Burgundia.  This 
they  must  prevent,  and  hence,  betimes,  put  the 
hoarded  treasure  in  safe-keeping.  The  brothers 
would  not  consent.  Gernot  said  that  wrong 
enough  had  been  done  to  his  own  sister ;  and 
of  her  inheritance  he  would  not  permit  her  to 
be  robbed.  But  once,  when  the  chieftains  were 
away,  the  bold  knight,  with  his  men,  broke  open 
the  treasure-house,  brought  out  the  whole  hoard, 
and  sunk  it  in  the  Rhine.1  The  kings,  indeed, 

1  There  between  Worms  and  Lorsch,  according  to 
popular  tradition,  it  lies  to  the  present  day. — Richter's 
Heldensagen  des  Mittelalters. 

180 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

upon  their  return,  learned  of  the  evil  act ;  and 
Chriemhild  preferred  complaint  against  the  rob- 
bers ;  albeit,  the  deed  was  done. 

"Wert  thou  not  our  uncle,"  said  Gunther 
and  Gernot,  "  thou  wouldst  pay  this  with  thy 
life." 

Afterwards,  Hagen  led  the  chieftains  to  the 
spot  where  the  gold,  the  rings,  and  the  mass  of 
precious  stones  lay  on  the  river  bed,  and  he  had 
them  swear  that  neither  would  betray  the  spot 
so  long  as  another  of  them  should  still  be  living. 

"  In  the  depths  of  the  stream,"  said  the 
knight,  "  there  the  rings  gleam  fairer  and  more 
harmless1  than  in  the  hands  of  the  queen  thirst- 
ing for  vengeance." 

But  Chriemhild  grew  again  as  silent  and 
melancholy  as  aforetime.  She  now  remained 
always  with  her  mother.  There  she  embroid- 
ered rugs  and  pictured  Balder's  death;2  how 

1  Reference  is  here  probably  made  to  the  large  rings 
worn  in  ancient  times,  mostly  on  the  arms,  and  con- 
stituting the  most  costly  and  most  honorable  presents. 
Hagen  feared  they  might  be  employed  by  Chriemhild 
to  purchase  or  reward  service  against  himself. 

2  The  myth  here  alluded  to  may  be  found,  in  frag- 
ments at  least,  in  both  the  Eddas;    but  the  Younger 

181 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

Hoder1  casts  the  spear  at  his  brother;  how  the 
body  of  the  god  is  brought  to  the  funeral  pyre ; 


(Gylfaginning,  49)  gives  connectedly  the  substance 
of  the  following  outline: 

Balder  the  Good,  the  god  of  light,  son  of  Wotan 
and  Frigg,  dreamed  that  his  life  was  in  danger.  His 
mother,  alarmed,  asked  and  received  pledges  from  fire 
and  water,  iron  and  all  ores,  stones  and  earth,  from 
trees,  diseases,  and  poisons,  from  all  fourfooted  ani- 
mals, birds,  and  worms  that  they  would  spare  her  son. 
But  the  mistletoe  she  thought  too  young  to  take  the 
oath.  Loki,  the  spirit  of  evil,  learning  this,  persuaded 
the  blind  god,  Hoder,  to  hurl  the  fatal  branch  at  his 
half-brother,  Balder,  and  thus  he  was  slain.  Then 
Frigg  sent  to  Hel,  the  goddess  of  death,  to  ask  on 
what  terms  she  would  release  her  son,  whom  this  sore 
mischance  had  delivered  to  her  realm.  Hel,  incredu- 
lous that  Balder  could  be  so  universally  beloved,  de- 
manded that  all  creatures  and  things  should  weep  for 
him.  All  complied  except  one  ill-natured  hag;  and 
her  ungracious  refusal  prevented  the  ransom  of  the 
god. 

1  Hoder's  responsibility  for  the  death  of  Balder 
does  not  compare  with  Hagen's  for  that  of  Siegfried; 
for  Hagen  was  at  once  both  the  Loki  and  the  Hoder 
of  his  tragedy,  while  Hoder  had  hurled  the  mistletoe 
in  ignorance  that  it  could  harm  a  being  against  whom 
all  evil  seemed  powerless;  nevertheless,  Wali,  son  of 

182 


SIEGFRIED'S  LIFE 

how  Nanna1  weeps,  dies  of  a  broken  heart,  and 
shares  with  her  beloved  his  last  resting-place 
upon  the  pyre.  But  in  Balder  could  be  recog- 
nized her  hero ;  in  Nanna,  herself;  Hoder  had 
the  features,  the  attire,  and  the  murderous  lance 
of  the  grim  Hagen.  Oft  did  she  let  her  needle 
rest,  and  sat  dreaming  before  the  picture.  When 
Dame  Ute  asked : 

"  Of  what  are  you  thinking,  my  child  ?"  she 
would  answer : 

"  I  am  thinking  of  Hagen." 

"  Of  Hagen !"  repeated  the  aged  queen. 
"  Forget  not  that  he  is  our  uncle,  a  faithful  ser- 
vant of  his  king  and  queen, — by  his  strength  a 
shield  and  protection  for  our  land,  and  ready  for 
any  service." 

"  Yes ;  even  for  murder  !"  concluded  Chriem- 
hild,  and  left  the  room. 


Odin  and  Rinda,  skilled  in  the  use  of  the  bow,  avenged 
his  half-brother's  death  by  shooting  Hoder. 

1  The  flower  goddess,  Nanna,  was  the  wife  of  Bal- 
der, god  of  light;  and,  according  to  the  Sagas,  she 
died  of  grief  when  he  ceased  to  live,  signifying,  as 
Uhland  suggests,  that  with  the  loss  of  light  the  rich- 
ness and  fragrance  of  flower  life  passes  away. 

183 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

To  the  king's  court  in  Worms  came  a 
welcome  guest.  It  was  Margrave  Rudiger  of 
Bechelaren,1  the  good  and  gentle,  well  known 
to  the  Burgundians,  and  on  friendly  terms  with 
them.  With  Gunther,  Gernot,  and  Hagen  he 
had  in  his  youth  shared  many  an  adventure. 
He  had  tossed  on  his  knee  the  young  Giselher ; 
he  had  delighted  himself  in  Volker's  notes  ;  and 
now  he  brought  his  joyousness  of  heart  into  the 
house  of  grief,  so  that  Chriemhild  herself  some- 
times followed  her  mother  into  the  hall,  and  at 
the  talk  ofttimes  smiled  kindly,  which  had  not 


1  The  identity  of  this  noble  hero  with  any  historical 
person  has  never  been  satisfactorily  traced.  His  name 
occurs  in  several  old  songs,  which  dwell  upon  the 
amiability  and  beauty  of  his  character  more  than  upon 
his  martial  deeds. 

An  ancient  town  of  Pochlarn  still  exists  at  the  junc- 
tion of  the  Erlaf  with  the  Danube.  In  the  tenth  cen- 
tury it  is  said  to  have  been  in  possession  of  the  Mar- 
graves Riidiger,  and  some  attempts  have  been  made 
to  trace  to  this  family  the  Riidiger  of  the  Nibelungen 
Lied. 

For  the  argument  in  favor  of  the  identity  of  Riidi- 
ger  and  Robin  Hood,  see  Der  Mythut  vom  Mark- 
grafen  Riidiger ,  by  Richard  v.  Muth. 

184 


SIEGFRIED'S   LIFE 

happened  since  the  death  of  the  never-to-be- 
forgotten  hero. 

But  when  Brunhild,  or,  above  all,  Hagen, 
entered,  she  started  as  at  a  poisonous  serpent 
and  hastily  withdrew. 


PART   II 
CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

"DER  NIBELUNGEN  NOT"1 

VI 

KING   ETZEL'S   WOOING 

DAYS  and  weeks  passed ;  then  once,  over 
the  brimming  beaker,  Gunther  said  to  his 
esteemed  guest,  Rlidiger,  that  it  seemed  as  if  he 
had  some  secret,  to  which  he  was  loth  to  give 
utterance.  He  should  be  of  good  heart.  What- 
soever he  had  to  demand,  that  should  be  ac- 
corded him,  so  far  as  the  king  himself  had  it  in 
his  power  to  fulfil  the  request. 

"So  be  it,  then,  King  Gunther,"  spake  the 
margrave.  "  I  will  declare  to  thee  what  I  have 
to  solicit.  Thou  knowest  that  the  good  Queen 

1  This  is  the  German  title  of  the  Second  Part  of 
the  Nibelungen  Lied,  meaning  The  Nibelungs*  Dis- 
tress. The  name  Nibelungs  is  applied  to  the  Bur- 

gundians  in  the  Second  Part. 
1 86 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

Helche,  the  spouse  of  my  liege  lord,  King 
Etzel,1  has  been  dead  many  years;  that  his 
sons,  too,  through  the  treachery  of  Wittich,2 
have  been  slain.  And  now  the  sovereign  of 
the  Huns  feels  solitary  in  the  vast  halls  of 

1  Etzel  is  the  Hunnish  form  of  the  name  of  which 
Attila    is    the    diminutive,    and    signifies    "  father." 
Though  famous  for  barbarity  and  fondness  of  war, 
and  known  as  the  "  Scourge  of  God,"  history  never- 
theless records  some  gentler  traits  of  this  king,  such 
as  are  ascribed  to  Etzel  in  our  text,  and  more  in  keep- 
ing with  the  paternal  significance  of  his  name.     His 
hospitality    was   boundless,    and,   though   himself   of 
severely  simple  habits,  his  court  was  one  of  almost 
fabulous  luxury.     He  was  gracious  towards  those  who 
sought  his  help,  and  permitted  the  people  whom  he 
conquered  to  retain  their  customs,  languages,  and  laws, 
demanding  only  military  service  and  tribute,  which 
at  the  date  of  his  reign  (434—453  A.D.)  was  accounted 
great  clemency.    The  legendary  Etzel  is  not  only  hos- 
pitable, magnificent,  and  kindly,  but  pitifully  weak  in 
character,  being,  in  this  respect,  by  no  means  true  to 
the  original. 

2  In  German  legends  Wittich  was  the  son  of  the 
famous  smith  Wieland,  and  received  from  his  father 
the  sword  Mimung.     He  became  a  powerful  knight, 
and  was  closely  connected  with  Dietrich,  Ermenrich, 
and  other  heroes  in  their  adventures. 

187 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

Etzelburg.1  He  thought  to  take  to  himself 
again  a  noble  and  worthy  consort,  and  concern- 
ing this  asked  my  counsel.  I  knew  no  fairer 
nor  nobler  woman  to  propose  than  Chriemhild, 
thy  sister,  the  widow  of  the  powerful  hero 
Siegfried.  Givest  thou  thy  consent,  so  will  she 
become  queen  of  the  Huns." 

"  She  is  no  longer  under  my  guardianship," 
was  the  reply ;  "  she  is  queen  of  the  Nibelung 
Land  and  of  the  Netherlands,  and  I  fear  me  she 
will  not  be  disposed  to  compliance." 

"  I  will  bring  her  the  good  tidings,"  said  Gisel- 
her,  "  and  Mother  Ute  will  lend  me  her  aid." 

The  young  knight  made  ready  at  once  to  go 
to  the  women.  He  found  his  sister,  as  usual, 
busied  with  her  needlework.  He  urged  her  to 
desist  from  her  excessive  mourning,  and,  since 
she  was  still  young,  to  open  her  heart  to  the 
joys  of  life.  Then  he  told  what  Rudiger  had 
related  of  Etzel's  court,  of  his  treasures,  and  the 

1  Etzelburg  (MS.,  Ezelen  burc)  was  evidently  the 
residence  of  King  Etzel  at  the  time  of  his  marriage 
with  Chriemhild,  but  it  is  not  quite  clear  whether 
this  place  was  Gran,  as  Zarncke  believes,  or  Ofen, 
which  is  shown  to  have  ceen  the  residence  of  the  kings 
of  the  Huns  (Hungary)  in  the  eleventh  century. 
188 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

great  superabundance  of  goods  and  possessions 
in  the  land  of  the  Huns,  and  finally  came  to 
speak  of  the  suit  for  her  hand.  Chriemhild  re- 
plied firmly  and  solemnly  that  she  would  not  go 
far  away  from  the  tomb  that  inclosed  her  only, 
her  dearest  treasure.  Immediately  Mother  Ute 
began  to  speak,  and  described  Etzel's  great 
power ;  relating  how  supreme  he  was  among  the 
Huns,  the  Wilkinen,1  and  the  Russians  ;  how,  in 
his  younger  years,  he,  with  a  great  army,  had 
forced  the  kings  of  the  Franks,  Goths,  and  even 
the  Burgundians,  to  pay  tribute  and  furnish 
hostages;  and  showing  how  it  were  well  that 
his  suit  should  not  be  rejected,  lest  he  might 
harm  the  land  by  an  invasion. 

"  Shouldst  thou  become  his  queen,  my  child," 
said  she,  "thou  wilt  be  powerful  above  all 
women,  as  was  the  good  Helche." 

"  Powerful  above  all  women,"  repeated  the 
daughter,  musing.  "  Look  thou,  Giselher,"  she 
continued,  pointing  to  her  embroidery,  "dost 
know  whom  this  hero  is  meant  to  represent?" 

1  An  ancient  Slavonic  people  formerly  inhabiting 
the  northeast  part  of  Germany,  and  who  disappeared 
after  the  conquest  of  Brandenburg  by  the  Germans. — 

Meyer's  Lexicon. 

189 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

He  replied  in  the  negative,  and  she  added : 
"  It  is  Wali,1  the  avenger,  of  whom  the  fathers 

said  that  he  had  avenged  Balder,  and  sent  to 

Hel2  the  black-hearted  Hoder." 

1  See  note  1,  p.  182. 

2  Hel,  written  also  Helle,  is  the  goddess  of  death 
and  the  lower  world,  whose  name  has  passed  to  her 
dominions.     That  the  god  Balder,  preeminently  "  the 
Good,"  should  at  his  death  descend  to  the  lower  world, 
is  one  among  many  indications  in  Teutonic  traditions 
that  this  realm  was  not  reserved  exclusively  for  the 
vicious,  but  was  regarded  simply  as  the  abode  of  de- 
parted spirits,  where  indeed  punishment  was  inflicted 
upon  such  as  deserved  it. 

Of  the  Scandinavian  hell,  M.  Saintaine  writes  as 
follows :  "  This  was  a  hell  of  ice ;  it  froze  here  hard 
enough  to  split  iron,  and  the  damned  shivered  with 
cold.  Dante  mentions  something  of  the  kind  in  his 
great  work,  but  between  the  Florentine  and  the  Scan- 
dinavian, there  can  be  no  doubt  who  borrowed  from 
the  other.  It  was  quite  natural,  after  all,  that  in  these 
wintry  regions  of  Scandinavia,  where  cold  is  the  great- 
est evil  to  be  dreaded,  intense,  continued,  eternal  cold 
should  have  become  the  terror  and  the  punishment  of 
the  criminal.  The  idea  of  a  hell  of  fire,  so  far  from 
keeping  them  from  the  fatal  slope,  might  well  have 
tempted  some  chilly  scoundrel  to  commit  a  great 
crime." 

Of  Hel,  who  reigned  over  this  "  frightful  iceberg," 
190 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

"  Those  are  worn-out  fables,  about  which  one 
knows  but  little,"  answered  Giselher.  "  But  speak 
of  that  which  the  good  Riidiger  comes  to  seek." 

"  Yes,  if  it  could  be  fulfilled,"  said  she, — "  per- 
haps. Beg  the  margrave  to  come  to  me,  that 
I  myself  may  receive  his  suit." 

That  was  a  joyous  word  to  the  young  knight. 
He  betook  himself  at  once  to  the  hall,  and 
Dame  Ute,  too,  at  the  request  of  her  daughter, 
left  the  room. 

"  Siegfried,"  spake  the  young  queen,  "  for  thy 
sake  I  depart  from  the  mound  wherein  thou 
dwellest,  where  so  oft  thou  dost  appear  to  me, 
in  waking  and  in  dream,  and  dost  show  me  thy 
wounds.  They  gape — they  bleed  still ;  they  will 
close — they  will  bleed  no  more,  if  it  be  granted 
me  to  send  to  Hel  the  black-hearted  Hoder." 

Riidiger  appeared,  and  in  well-chosen  words 
presented  his  suit. 

She  spake  : 

"  Thou  shalt  give  me  sound  counsel,  noble 

the  same  author  adds,  in  language  resembling  a  pas- 
sage in  the  Younger  Edda:  "  Her  palace  is  called 
Misery;  her  gate,  the  Precipice;  her  reception-room, 
Grief;  her  bed,  Disease;  her  table,  Famine;  and  her 
throne,  Malediction." 

191 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

margrave.  How  shall  I  fare,  since  I  know  not 
the  king  and  his  people?  Would  they  not 
disdain  and  scorn  the  stranger  woman  *?  Wilt 
thou  be  my  helper  if  I  come  to  need  ?" 

"  Etzel  is  a  rich  potentate  and  valiant  knight," 
replied  he,  "  who  will  pay  to  thee  great  honors, 
even  as  aforetime  to  the  good  Dame  Helche,  so 
that  thou  wilt  have  more  of  wealth  and  power 
than  in  the  days  when  the  strong  Siegfried  still 
lived.  I  myself  am  ready  for  thy  every  service." 

"  Wilt  thou  take  solemn  oath,"  said  Chriem- 
hild,  "  that  thou,  with  thy  liegemen,  at  my  com- 
mand wilt  take  up  arms  whensoever  and  against 
whomsoever  it  may  be  ?" 

"  Only  not  against  my  liege  lord,"  replied  the 
knight. 

"  Swear  to  me,"  said  the  woman,  "  at  my 
command  and  that  of  thy  liege  lord,  to  fight, 
with  lance  and  sword,  against  every  foe  who 
has  wronged  me." 

"  That  I  pledge  thee,  by  my  troth  and  solemn 
oath,  so  truly  as  Irmin 1  shall  help  me  in  my 
hour  of  need." 


1  Irmin  is  supposed  by  Widekind  and  Vollmer  to 
have  been  the  god  of  battles  among  the  ancient  Saxons. 

192 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

"  So  be  it,  then,  most  noble  margrave,"  said 
she,  in  clear  tones ;  "  I  will  journey  with  thee 
to  the  land  of  the  wild  Huns,  and  will  be  to 
thy  liege  lord  a  faithful  wife,  my  life  long,  since 
I  may  depend  upon  thy  support." 

There  was  great  joy  among  the  knights  when 
Rlidiger  brought  the  good  news.  The  three 
royal  brothers  talked  about  how  their  sister 
would  now  be  rid  of  her  grief;  how  she  would 
be  glad  again,  and  would  create  a  firm  bond  be- 
tween the  Huns  and  Burgundians.  Then  came 
Hagen  to  them,  saying: 

"Will  ye  call  down  lightning,  that  it  fall 
upon  our  heads  ?  Give  not  your  sister  to  the 
king  of  the  Huns.  Between  the  widow  of 
Siegfreid  and  ourselves  only  such  friendship  can 
obtain  as  that  between  water  and  fire ;  either 
the  former  will  disappear  in  vapor,  or  it  will 
quench  the  latter.  It  is  a  childish  man  who 
offers  to  his  foe  the  sword  wherewith  his  own 
head  shall  be  cleft." 

He  is  often  identified  with  Thor  and,  by  Grimm,  even 
with  Odin. 

Simrock  thinks,  as  Leibnitz  had  already  suspected, 
that  the  name  German  is  in  some  way  derived  from 
Irmin. 

'3  193 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

"  Uncle,  them  dost  cherish  in  thine  heart  ill- 
will  and  envy,"  said  Giselher,  "therefore  art 
thou  ever  grouty  and  grim.  But  thou  shalt  not 
have  thy  will ;  thou  shalt  not  grieve  nor  distress 
our  sister.  With  all  honors  will  she  become 
queen  of  the  Huns." 

In  like  manner,  spake  Gunther  and  Gernot, 
defying  the  warning  knight. 

And  now  preparations  were  made  for  the 
journey  to  Etzelburg,  that  the  queen  might 
make  her  appearance  among  the  Huns  with 
regal  state.  Emissaries  were  sent  to  Nibelung 
Land  and  to  the  Netherlands,  and  returned  with  a 
numerous  retinue  of  knights  and  liegemen.  All 
these  men,  likewise  the  women  who  should  ac- 
company their  queen,  received  rich  apparel  and 
noble  steeds  for  their  journey.  The  kings  gave 
their  sister  their  escort  as  far  as  the  Danube, 
where  they  bade  her  farewell.  Margrave  Riidi- 
ger  took  the  lead  through  Bavaria,  where  they 
found  good  accommodation  in  castles  and 
towns,  because  the  valiant  knight  was  a  friend 
of  Gelfrat,  the  lord  of  the  land.  Without  let  or 
hindrance,  the  travellers  reached  Rudiger's  hospi- 
table mansion  in  Bechelaren.  Dame  Gotelinde 
and  her  lovely  daughter  received  the  esteemed 

m 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

guests  with  great  delight,  and  not  until  the 
fourth  day  permitted  them  to  continue  their 
journey. 

The  tidings  that  the  noble  queen  of  the 
Huns  was  coming  had  already  spread  through- 
out the  land,  and  princes  and  knights  came 
forth  to  meet  her.  But,  on  the  confines  of  his 
territory,  King  Etzel  tarried  with  his  great 
retinue.  At  sight  of  the  pale,  but  still  beautiful 
woman,  his  heart  was  filled  with  such  joy  as 
aforetime,  when,  by  the  help  of  the  bold  Riidi- 
ger,  he  won  the  lovely  Helche.  He  said  to 
Chriemhild  that  she  should  rule  over  his  treas- 
ures and  his  kingdoms,  and  be  crowned  even  as 
himself.  She  answered  that  she  would  be  to 
him  a  faithful  and  obedient  housewife,  but  that 
her  love  was  buried  with  Siegfried  in  the  tomb. 
The  king  heeded  not  the  last  words  ;  he  thought 
that  by  devotion  and  true  love  he  could  win  her 
affection ;  and  at  her  side,  surrounded  by  kings, 
princes,  and  nobles  of  his  empire,  he  proceeded 
towards  Etzelburg.  And  there,  fourteen  days 
long,  the  wedding  was  celebrated  with  great 
splendor.  There  were  all  sorts  of  amusements : 
daily  one  saw  tilting  by  the  knights ;  then  fol- 
lowed banquet,  wassail,  song,  and  the  music  of 
195 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

the  harp  from  minstrels,  especially  from  the  two 
principal  ones  among  them,  Worbelin  and 
Swemmelin ;  moreover,  in  song  and  dance  the 
Hunnish  damsels  extolled  the  deeds  of  the  king, 
his  knights,  and  ancestors. 

Chriemhild  took  little  part  in  the  festivities. 
She  received  and  greeted  the  guests,  filled  her 
place  in  the  palace  as  housewifely  hostess ;  but 
no  ray  of  joy  illumed  her  features,  while  in  her 
soul  a  world  of  thoughts  revolved  about  one 
centre, — about  Siegfried.  There  was,  however, 
among  the  knights  also  a  man  for  whom  song 
and  music,  game  and  wassail,  had  little  charm ; 
who  only  in  the  tournament  gave  proof  of  his 
rare  heroic  strength ;  and  this  hero  was  the 
brave  Dietrich  of  Bern.1  His  thoughts  lingered 

1  Although  Theodoric  the  Great,  King  of  the  Ostro- 
goths, was  not  contemporaneous  with  Attila,  yet  au- 
thorities generally  agree  in  identifying  him  with  the 
Dietrich  of  Bern  described  in  the  Nibelungen  Lied 
as  sojourning  at  the  court  of  the  Hunnish  monarch, 
Etzel.  If  this  monarch  is  Attila,  as  we  are  also  as- 
sured, then  it  is  evident  that  either  our  chronology  is 
at  fault  or  the  search  for  historic  counterparts  for 
mythological  characters  leaps  all  barriers  to  historic 
possibility. 

It  was  in  his  victory  at  Verona  (Bern)  that  Theo- 
196 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

in  the  fair  land  of  the  Amelungs,1  of  which  his 
uncle,  Ermenrich,2  had  by  craft  and  force  dis- 
possessed him.  Thither  he  desired  to  make  his 
way  with  his  knights,  if  Etzel  would  lend  his 
aid ;  but  the  king  hesitated,  because  in  the  first 
expedition  both  his  sons  had  fallen.  When  the 
sound  of  merrymaking  among  the  guests  rang 
through  the  broad  halls,  then  Dietrich,  in  troubled 
mood,  left  the  tempting  drink  in  the  golden 
beaker  to  waste  its  foam.  Then,  oftentimes, 
the  queen  came  to  him  and  talked  of  the  injury 
she  had  received  through  Hagen,  and  of  how 
the  murder  was  still  unatoned, — Siegfried  still 
unavenged.  He  well  understood  that  she  sought 
to  win  him  to  a  scheme  of  vengeance ;  but  he 
kept  silence,  for  he  neither  would  nor  could 
draw  the  sword  against  Burgundian  knights, 

doric  won  the  title  of  Dietrich  of  Bern,  by  which  he 
was  afterwards  known  in  many  legends. 

In  his  legendary  character  he  rests  under  some  sus- 
picion of  having  been  ushered  into  the  world,  and 
removed  from  it,  by  the  offices  of  evil  spirits. 

1  Descendants  of  Amelung,  an  ancestor  of  Dietrich. 

2  Ermenrich  is  semihistorical,  and  appears  in  some 
of  the  legends  as  a  Roman  emperor,  perhaps  equiva- 
lent to  Odoacer. 

197 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

who,  in  many  a  hard-fought  battle,  as  faithful 
comrades,  shield  to  shield,  had  given  him  their 
aid. 

The  season  of  rejoicing  was  spent ;  peace- 
fully passed  moons  and  years ;  a  son  was  born 
to  the  royal  pair,  the  image  of  his  mother,  to 
whom  the  name  Ortlieb  was  given.  The  sov- 
ereign of  the  Huns  celebrated  the  birth  of  the 
child,  who  some  day  should  inherit  all  his  king- 
doms, with  a  festive  banquet,  on  which  occa- 
sion many  subject  princes,  kings,  and  thousands 
of  noble  knights  found  a  place  in  the  spacious, 
high-arched  palace  halls.  But  not  alone  in 
the  palace  was  there  merrymaking.  The  whole 
Hunnish  folk  took  part  in  the  celebration  with 
feasting,  song,  and  dance, — for  a  future  ruler  was 
born.  Now  would  the  kingdom  not  be  or- 
phaned by  Etzel's  death  and  given  as  a  prey  to 
external  and  internal  foes,  but  would  be  faith- 
fully protected  by  its  rightful  chieftain.  The 
king,  for  his  son's  sake,  loved  his  spouse  more 
than  before,  and  had  gladly  laid  at  her  feet  all 
the  treasures  of  the  world,  only  she  desired 
nothing.  She  remained  always  the  same, — seri- 
ous, of  few  words,  yet  careful  in  her  duties 
as  royal  housewife.  Even  the  little  boy,  who 

198 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

sturdily  throve  and  was  the  father's  delight,  de- 
votedly as  she  cherished  him,  never  won  from 
her  a  smile.  The  wounds  which  the  death  of 
her  first  consort  had  inflicted  healed  not ;  they 
still  bled,  and  the  spirit  of  revenge,  from  out  the 
depths,  ceased  not  to  demand  blood  for  blood, 
murder  for  murder — and  for  this  she  was  ready. 


199 


VII 

THE   EXPEDITION   TO   THE   HUNS 

ONCE  upon  a  time  the  king,  caressing  the 
little  Ortlieb,  said  kindly  to  the  mother 
that  he  hoped  the  child  would  sometime  become 
a  hero  like  Siegfried.  She  would  fain  have  cried 
out  at  the  mention  of  the  name,  for  it  was  as  if 
she  saw  him,  pale  and  disfigured  by  wounds, 
lying  before  her.  She  controlled  herself,  re- 
mained to  all  appearance  quite  composed,  and 
only  begged  her  spouse  to  invite  her  brothers 
and  kinsfolk  to  visit  him  in  the  land  of  the  Huns. 
It  was  the  first  request  that  she  had  proffered, 
and  Etzel  fulfilled  it  with  delight.  He  imme- 
diately commanded  that  the  most  distinguished 
minstrels,1  Swemmelin  and  Worbelin,  should, 
with  four-and-twenty  noble  knights,  start  for  the 
Rhine,  to  invite  the  Burgundian  kings,  with  all 

1  "  Minstrels  were  often  employed  by  their  lords 
as  emissaries  to  foreign  lands.     Ancient  law  forbade 
their  molestation,  and  hence  they  were  the  safest  mes- 
sengers."— Richter's  Heldensagen. 
200 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

their  kinsfolk,  to  the  festival  of  the  summer  sol- 
stice. Chriemhild  cautioned  the  messengers  espe- 
cially that  they  should  kindly  greet  Dame  Ute, 
and  beg  her  to  come  with  them,  that  she  might 
see  for  herself  what  good  estate  and  honor  her 
daughter  enjoyed.  The  messengers  should  also 
have  a  care  that  Hagen  should  accompany  the 
kings. 

The  minstrels  were  well  received  in  Worms, 
for  they  brought  good  tidings  of  the  noble 
queen  and  the  powerful  ruler  of  the  Huns. 
They  were  furnished  with  the  best  accommoda- 
tions and  many  rich  gifts.  Nevertheless,  Gun- 
ther  delayed  the  reply,  because  he  would  first 
take  counsel  with  his  knights.  When  they  as- 
sembled about  him,  and  were  informed  of  the 
affair,  they  all  favored  the  expedition.  They 
said  that  they  might  well  expect  a  cordial  recep- 
tion and  days  of  festivity,  since  the  rich  king 
was  kindly  disposed  towards  them.  Hagen,  on 
the  contrary,  advised  against  it,  because,  without 
preparations  for  war,  great  harm  might  befall 
them  in  that  strange  and  distant  land.  Gisel- 
her  opposed  him,  saying  that  his  uncle  feared 
for  his  own  life ;  that  he  called  to  mind  what  he 
had  done  to  Siegfried,  and  deemed  that  the  queen 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

would  retaliate  with  like  treachery.  At  this 
speech  the  knight  became  furious. 

"When  did  I  ever  lower  my  shield  for  the 
sake  of  life  or  limb  ?"  cried  he.  "  Would  ye 
go  to  the  Huns,  then  will  I  lead  ye  thither,  for 
to  me  the  way  is  known.  I  take  no  care  for 
myself,  but  for  the  name  and  fame  of  Burgundia ; 
for  you,  ye  kings,  whose  vassal  I  am." 

And  so  the  journey  was  decided  upon,  and 
the  minstrels,  richly  laden  with  gifts,  returned 
with  the  message  to  their  own  land. 

Hagen  took  charge  of  the  preparations  for 
the  journey,  and  it  seemed  verily  as  if  he  were 
making  ready  for  a  campaign.  A  thousand  and 
threescore  knights,  all  in  rich  apparel  and  well 
armed,  together  with  nine  thousand  men  at  arms, 
were  summoned,  and  were  directed  to  bear  sharp 
spears,  and  swords,  and  shields,  and  helmets  hard 
as  steel. 

"  The  Nibelungs  journey  to  the  Huns ;  may 
they  return  in  safety !"  was  said  among  the  folk, 
as  the  troops  passed  over  the  Rhine.  For  since 
the  Nibelung  hoard  had  been  brought  into  the 
land,  the  kings,  with  their  kinsmen  and  retainers 
were  called  by  the  name  of  that  shadowy  king- 
dom of  the  Nibelungs.  Gladly  would  Dame 


202 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

Ute  have  folded  her  daughter  again  in  her  arms, 
but  her  age  did  not  permit  her  the  long  journey. 
Brunhild,  too,  remained  behind,  since  she  had 
no  desire  to  behold  her  mortal  foe  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  happiness.  In  general,  she  avoided 
festive  assemblies,  and  lingered  rather  by  the 
mound  where  Siegfried's  body  lay.1 

The  Nibelungs  crossed  the  Rhine  in  boats, 
and  rode  then  for  twelve  days  under  the  leader- 
ship of  Hagen,  who  knew  the  way  through  the 
Black  Forest  and  many  a  wild  tract,  until,  on 
the  borders  of  Bavaria,  unmolested,  they  reached 
the  Danube.  But  neither  accommodation  nor  a 
boatman  was  there  to  be  found.  While  the 
hosts  encamped,  Hagen  went  farther  into  the  in- 
terior of  the  inhospitable  country,  and  came  to 
a  spring  that  emptied  its  waters  into  a  lake. 
There  he  saw  some  women  bathing  in  the  clear 
water,  and  at  once  perceived  that  they  were 

1  This  is  another  intimation  that  Brunhild  loved  the 
hero  whose  murder  she  had  procured.  The  original 
Brunhild  (Brynhild)  loved  Sigurd,,  the  original  Sieg- 
fried, and  preferred  to  have  him  slain  rather  than  see 
him  in  the  embrace  of  another.  But,  like  Dido,  she 
mounted  the  funeral  pyre  in  the  frenzy  of  love.  (See 
p.  320.) 

203 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

swan-nymphs.  Swimming,  they  took  to  flight 
at  sight  of  him ;  but  he  discovered  and  took  pos- 
session of  their  swan  garments,1  which  compelled 
them  to  grant  him  speech. 

"Give  us  our  garments,"  cried  one  of  the 
nymphs,  "  and  I  will  prophesy  for  thee." 

He  promised  to  comply  with  her  demand  if 
she  would  make  known  to  him  the  issue  of  the 
journey.  She  declared  that  he,  with  all  his 
companions,  would  enjoy  great  honors  in  Etzel's 
land  and  return  home  unharmed.  But,  as  the 
hero  gave  back  the  garments,  another  nymph 
said  that  her  sister  had  so  prophesied  from  cun- 
ning. On  the  contrary,  of  all  the  army  the 
priest  alone  would  be  saved  and  again  behold 
the  Rhine ;  all  the  others  would  fall  by  the 
sword  in  a  foreign  land,  unless,  heeding  the 
warning,  they  should  at  once  turn  their  steeds 
homeward. 

"Ye  are  then  versed  in  lying*?"  spake  the 
doughty  knight.  "Methinks,  with  my  sword 


1  Although  not  expressly  stated  in  this  connection, 
the  swan  garments  and  the  prophetic  power  are  suffi- 
cient indication  that  the  water-nymphs  whom  Hagen 

accosts  are  Valkyrs.     (See  note  2,  p.  67.) 
204 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

and  my  shield,  I  shall  protect  my  lords  and  my- 
self. I  ask  of  ye  but  counsel  as  to  how  we 
may  pass  this  stream  ?" 

They  said  that  keeping  to  the  valley  of  the 
river  he  would  find  a  little  inn.  Opposite  lived 
a  boatman,  a  rich  and  valiant  hero.  He  should 
call  to  him  and  pretend  to  be  Amelrich,1  the 
friend  of  the  boatman.  But  he  must  deal  with 
the  proud  knight  gallantly  and  offer  him  rich 
reward,  otherwise  he  would  be  exposed  to  dan- 
ger. As  the  nymphs  spake  thus  they  were 
wafted  by  their  swan  pinions  over  the  glistening 
waters  and  disappeared  in  the  distance. 

Hagen  followed  their  advice.  He  found  the 
inn  and  asked  courteously  for  transport,  and, 
when  that  was  in  vain,  called  loudly  till  the 
mountains  rang : 

"  Boatman,  fetch  across  thy  friend  Amelrich : 
time  presses." 

Immediately  he  heard  powerful  oar-strokes, 
and  soon  the  boatman,  with  his  skiffs,  was  on 
the  hither  bank.  The  Tronjan  offered  him  a 


1  With  the  exception  of  the  above  incident  in  the 
Nibelungen  Lied,  there  is  apparently  no  mention  of 
this  Amelrich  in  either  history  or  legend. 
205 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

heavy  ring  of  red  gold  for  the  ferriage,  but  the 
boatman,  vexed  to  see  before  him  a  stranger  in 
place  of  his  good  friend  Amelrich,  gave  him  a 
blow  upon  the  head  with  his  powerful  oar,  so 
that  it  would  have  been  his  death,  had  not  his 
stout  helm  protected  him.  Hagen  returned  the 
blow  with  his  sword  so  lustily  that  the  ferry- 
man, fatally  wounded,  fell  overboard.  There- 
upon, the  hero  himself  seized  the  oar,  and 
forced,  too,  the  terrified  oarsmen  into  his  service. 
Although  wind  and  weather  were  against  him, 
the  strong  arm  of  the  Tronjan  overcame  all 
obstacles,  and  he  landed  there  where  the  troops 
were  encamped.  The  transport  was  now  rapidly 
effected.  Again  and  again  must  the  wild  waters 
be  crossed,  but  the  doughty  knight  wearied  not 
until  the  whole  body  of  horsemen  had  been 
carried  over.  Among  the  last  was  found  the 
priest.  With  a  stroke  of  the  oar  Hagen  pitched 
him  overboard. 

"  If  we  must  all  fall  by  the  sword,  as  these 
water-nymphs  have  said,"  cried  he,  angrily, 
"  then  shall  the  priest,  instead  of  drinking  wine 
with  the  Huns,  have  water  here,  and  see  the 
Rhine  no  more." 

He   spake   not   truly.      His    flowing   robes 
206 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

buoyed  up  the  priest  in  the  water,  and  wind  and 
wave  bore  him  back  to  the  shore. 

"  Now  the  Devil  may  have  his  way,"  said  the 
bold  knight ;  "  little  care  I  for  him ;  for  that 
which  is  must  be  :  such  is  the  word  of  the 
Norns." 

Thereupon  he  ordered  the  march  to  be  con- 
tinued. He  himself  remained  with  the  rear 
guard ;  Volker  led  the  advance,  as  he  knew  the 
way. 

Already  had  Night  spread  over  the  earth  her 
mantle  of  peace,  and  the  stars  looked  down 
from  the  dark  heavens  upon  the  wayworn 
knights,  when  Hagen  heard  the  tramp  of 
horses'  hoofs  behind  him.  He  turned  about, 
but,  before  he  could  put  his  lance  in  rest,  he 
was  charged  upon  and  thrown  from  the  saddle. 

It  was  Margrave  Gelfrat  who  greeted  the 
knight  so  ungraciously.  To  avenge  the  mur- 
dered boatman,  he,  with  his  brother  Else  and 
seven  hundred  warlike  Bavarians,  had  followed 
the  trail  of  the  Burgundian,  and  now,  like  a 
thunderstorm,  fell  upon  him.  Hagen,  indeed, 
after  his  fall,  sprang  up  at  once  and  drew  the 
sword ;  but  he  was  surrounded,  and  the  sturdy 

margrave  shattered  his  shield.     In  the  time  of 
207 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

direst  need,  his  brother  Dankwart  came  to  his 
aid.  He,  with  his  men,  boldly  attacked  the  foe. 
By  his  sword  fell  Gelfrat;  but  Else,  though 
wounded,  escaped  after  over  one  hundred  of  his 
troopers  had  been  slain. 

After  this  affray,  the  Burgundians  continued 
their  march  unhindered.  Nowhere  on  the  way 
did  they  find  good  accommodation,  until  they 
came  to  Passau,  where  they  were  hospitably  re- 
ceived. They  made  there  a  day's  halt,  and  then 
proceeded  along  the  valley  of  the  river.  There 
they  saw  a  knight  peacefully  resting  upon  the 
flowery  greensward.  He  slept  so  soundly  that 
he  woke  not  until  Hagen  plucked  his  sword 
from  his  side.  Then,  indeed,  he  sprang  up,  and 
bitterly  complained  that  the  good  Riidiger  would 
reproach  him  as  an  unfaithful  watchman  should 
he  present  himself  before  him  without  a  weapon. 
The  hero  of  Tronje  returned  his  sword,  adding 
to  it  ornaments  of  red  gold,  and  bade  him  take 
to  the  margrave  without  delay  the  tidings  that 
the  kings  of  Burgundia,  with  their  retainers, 
would  claim  his  hospitality.  The  man  returned 
thanks  for  the  gift. 

"  But,  valiant  knight,"  added  he,  "  I  know 
thee  well:  thou  art  the  grim  Hagcn,  and  I 

ao8 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

counsel  thee,  journey  not  to  the  Huns, — the 
queen  bears  thee  deadly  hatred." 

"  For  that  care  I  little,"  spake  the  Tronjan. 
"  Fail  not  to  bring  the  message  to  the  mar- 
grave." 

The  knight  mounted  his  steed,  which  was 
grazing  hard  by,  and  speeded  towards  Beche- 
laren. 

That  was  happy  news  for  the  noble  Riidiger, 
when  he  learned  that  the  dear  friends  from  Bur- 
gundia  thought  to  bide  with  him  for  a  season. 
He  summoned  his  liegemen  ;  he  bade  his  house- 
wife, Gotelinde,  and  his  fair  daughter,  Diete- 
linde,  prepare  for  the  reception.  He  said  that 
they  should,  with  beseeming  respect,  receive 
with  kisses,  according  to  custom,  the  kings, 
their  kinsman  Dankwart,  the  minstrel  Volker, 
and  especially  his  old  comrade  Hagen.  The 
whole  house  was  in  a  state  of  joyous  commo- 
tion. The  noble  ladies  brought  out  their  richest 
apparel,  which  glistened  with  gold  and  costly 
gems.  As  soon  as  the  guests  were  perceived 
from  the  battlements,  Riidiger,  with  many 
knights,  rode  to  meet  them,  and  said  that  he 
would  cordially  entertain  them  and  their  at- 
tendants, however  numerous  they  might  be. 

14  209 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

Before  the  house  stood  the  margravine  with  her 
daughter  and  six-and-thirty  noble  women  and 
damsels,  all  in  gorgeous  array,  with  fillets  of  gold 
round  hair  and  brow.  The  housewife  gave  to 
the  kings  and  their  kinsmen  greeting  and  kiss ; 
likewise  also  did  her  daughter,  according  to  cus- 
tom ;  but  as,  without  misgiving,  she  drew  near 
to  the  hero  of  Tronje,  she  started  back  affrighted, 
— an  odor  of  blood  seemed  wafted  towards  her. 
She  would  not,  she  could  not  kiss  him.  Then 
the  mother  chided  her,  because  she  would  refuse 
a  greeting  to  her  father's  esteemed  comrade ; 
and  the  margrave  with  severity  commanded  her 
compliance.  She  yielded  it  reluctantly,  and 
then  fled,  deathly  pale,  to  the  side  of  her 
mother,  as  if  she  would  seek  protection  from 
the  inexplicably  terrifying  presence.  The  maiden 
knew  nothing  of  the  guilt  that  rested  upon 
Hagen ;  it  was  a  vague  misgiving  which  arose  in 
her  pure  soul  and  repelled  her  from  her  father's 
friend. 

The  noble  Gotelinde  escorted  King  Gunther 
to  the  festive  hall ;  the  host  followed  with  Ger- 
not ;  and  the  young  Giselher  accompanied  the 
daughter  of  the  house.  Soon  the  guests  sat  at 
the  deliciously  furnished  banquet,  and  with 


210 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

them,  to  the  joy  of  the  knights,  the  noble 
women  and  maids1  who  formed  the  retinue 
of  the  margravine.  The  henchmen  camped  in 
tents  and  huts  which  had  been  hastily  set  up, 
and  refreshed  themselves  with  food  and  wine, 
which  the  rich  margrave  dispensed  in  super- 
abundance. When  the  meal  was  ended,  and 
the  beaker  began  its  rounds,  the  young  Diete- 
linde,  who  had  sat  by  Giselher,  retired  with  the 
female  attendants ;  but  the  housewife,  according 
to  custom,  remained  with  the  guests,  and  had  a 
care  that  of  wine  there  should  be  no  lack. 

On  the  following  day  the  margrave  would 
still  not  allow  the  guests  to  depart ;  nor  were 
they  unhappy  on  this  account,  for  everything 
was  done  which  could  make  their  stay  agree- 

1  "  It  has  been  supposed  that  it  was  only  towards 
the  tenth  century  that  the  women  of  the  household 
gained  the  right  of  sitting  at  table  with  the  men." — 
Wright's  Womankind  in  Western  Europe. 

But,  in  accounts  of  mediaeval  banquets,  we  fre- 
quently read  that  the  wife  of  the  host,  assisted  by 
maidens,  served  at  table,  rendering  the  guests  such 
services  as  are  now  left  to  hired  servants,  thus  adding, 
according  to  the  notions  of  those  days,  to  the  splendor 
of  the  occasion. 

211 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

able.  Giselher,  in  particular,  was  not  backward 
in  maintaining  his  place  by  the  side  of  Diete- 
linde,  and  the  knights  whispered  among  them- 
selves that  the  two  young  people — he  a  valor- 
ous, manly,  handsome  knight ;  she  the  loveliest 
of  maidens — seemed,  indeed,  made  for  each 
other. 

At  her  father's  bidding,  Dietelinde  sang,  to  the 
accompaniment  of  the  harp,  a  lay  of  a  noble 
maiden  who  by  song  and  music  freed  her 
father  from  the  bonds  of  a  giant.  And,  as  she 
evoked  these  sweet  tones,  she  seemed  to  the 
guests  fairer  than  before,  and  many  a  knight 
said  that  she  could  subdue  the  whole  world  of 
giants  with  song  and  music  ;  others  said  among 
themselves  that  they  would  welcome  a  life-and- 
death  combat  with  all  giants  could  they  win 
the  favor  of  the  gentle  maid.  So  talked  the 
happy  guests,  and  gazed  with  delight  upon  the 
fair  one,  as  the  mariners  upon  the  polar  star 
when  with  sharp  keel  they  cleave  the  waves. 
But  when  the  singer  found  so  many  eyes  turned 
upon  her,  abashed  she  descended  from  her  dais, 
and,  with  her  maidens,  left  the  hall.  It  was  to 
the  guests  as  had  a  heavenly  apparition  vanished 
from  their  midst. 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

Silence  fell  upon  the  knights.  Then  Volker, 
the  brave  minstrel,  raised  his  voice  and  spake : 

"  Were  I  a  rich  prince  and  wore  a  crown,  I 
would  lay  it  at  the  feet  of  the  adorable  maiden, 
and  say,  '  Thou  shalt  be  my  queen.'  " 

"And  beneath  a  crown  should  she  stand," 
spake  Gernot  the  knight, "  could  I  place  it  upon 
her  fair  brow." 

"  Ye  know  nothing  and  comprehend  nothing," 
cried  Hagen  the  Tronjan.  "  See  ye  not  how 
our  King  Giselher  carries  this  maid  in  his  heart? 
Pray  speak,  King  Gunther,  and  inquire  if  our 
host,  the  most  noble  margrave,  have  aught  to 
gainsay." 

"  That  right  willingly,"  replied  the  king,  ex- 
tending his  hand  to  Rlidiger. 

With  joy  the  latter  grasped  it,  yet  added : 

"  Reflect,  my  honored  guests,  that  I  have  nor 
land  nor  folk  to  place  at  the  disposal  of  another. 
Castles  and  towns  belong  to  my  lord,  the  king 
of  the  Huns." 

"  We  would  not  take  with  us  castles  and 
towns  to  the  Rhine,"  said  Gernot;  "we  desire 
only  the  lovely  maiden.  If  she  will  follow  us, 
we  opine  that  we  receive  a  rich  treasure  from 
our  esteemed  host." 

213 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

"  Besides,  the  daughter  of  the  margrave  will 
not  come  to  ye  destitute,"  spake  Riidiger.  "  A 
hundred  beasts  of  burden,  heavily  laded,  will 
take  her  dowry1  in  garments  and  precious  jewels 
to  Worms  over  the  Rhine." 

"  Close  the  ring,  noble  knights,"  cried  Volker ; 
"  let  our  King  Giselher  and  the  noble  Dietelinde 
be  summoned,  that  we  may  ask  them  if  this  be 
the  will  of  both." 

The  knights  closed  the  ring  about  the  young 
people,  as  they  in  obedience  to  the  summons 
came  into  the  hall.  And  now,  according  to  the 

1  Although  among  the  ancient  and  mediaeval  Ger- 
mans marriage  was  a  tax  upon  the  purse  of  the  bride- 
groom, rather  than  upon  that  of  the  bride  or  her  rela- 
tives, yet  her  legal  guardians,  if  belonging  to  the 
well-to-do  classes,  were  accustomed  to  furnish  the 
bride  liberally  with  ornaments  and  valuables,  so  that 
the  portion  which  she  received  in  this  form  from  her 
family  may  often  have  been  at  least  the  equivalent 
of  the  price  which  the  husband  paid  for  his  wife.  In 
very  early  times  gifts  of  cattle,  horses,  and  weapons 
were  bestowed  by  the  bridegroom  upon  the  family  of 
the  bride;  and  she  brought  with  her  to  her  new  home 
similar  treasures;  yet  his  gifts  were  in  fulfilment  of 
a  contract,  the  price  exacted  for  his  wife,  while  hers 
were  free-will  offerings. 

214 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

old  custom,  the  questions  were  addressed  to 
them,  if  they  would  devote  themselves  to  each 
other  in  good  faith.  The  royal  knight  replied 
joyfully,  "  Yes ;"  but  the  maiden,  blushing 
deeply  under  the  gaze  of  so  many  men,  hesi- 
tated, bashfully  dropped  her  eyes,  and  only  upon 
repetition  of  the  question,  whispered,  "Yes." 
Then  Giselher  clasped  her  in  his  arms  and  gave 
her  the  kiss  of  betrothal,  and  the  lifelong  bond 
was  consummated. 

The  guests  tarried  yet  many  a  day  with  their 
friendly  host,  and  the  rich  margrave  left  nothing 
undone  which  could  give  them  pleasure.  When 
finally  the  day  of  departure  came,  he  bestowed 
upon  every  knight  various  gifts  of  ornaments, 
rings,  garments,  and  steeds.  Hagen  would  ac- 
cept nothing  of  the  sort.  He  wished  only  for  a 
stout  shield  that  hung  on  the  wall  among  the 
other  armor. 

"  It  is  the  shield  of  Nudung,  our  only  son, 
whom  the  faithless  Wittich  slew,"  said  the  mar- 
gravine, and  her  tears  dropped  fast  upon  the 
shining  armor.  "  Take  it,  brave  hero ;  may  it 
protect  thee  better  than  it  did  our  loved  one. 
Mayst  thou  bear  it  to  the  Huns  with  honor,  and 
back  again  over  the  Rhine." 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

"  I  intend  to  bear  it  with  honor,"  spake  the 
Tronjan ;  "  but  if  I  shall  bring  it  to  Worms  is 
not  known  to  me." 

Dame  Gotelinde  also  gave  to  Volker,  the  val- 
orous minstrel,  twelve  costly  rings  of  red  gold, 
studded  with  many  a  precious  stone.  Then  the 
hero  took  the  viol,  and,  sweeping  the  strings 
with  powerful  touch,  sang  a  parting  lay,  at  first 
low  and  tender,  then  ever  louder,  until  the  tones 
rang  through  the  vast  halls : 

"  O  mistress  Love*  I  know  thee^     though  thou  abid'st 

unseen, 
Deep  as  the  depths  of  heaven,         upon  whose  veil 

stars  gleam. 

Tis  thou  hast  led  us  hither         to  Bechelaren  Land, 
Where  dwells  a  knight  most  noble,         a  hero  brave 

and  grand; 


And  kindly  Gotelinde,         who  with  free  hand  be- 
stows 

Rich  gifts;    and  her  loved  daughter,         yet  fairer 
than  the  rose. 

A  crown  is  destined  for  her,         a  crown  which  is 
her  meed ; 

A  youthful  knight  would  give  it,         and  for  her 
favor  plead. 

216 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

O  may  this  house,  wherein  joy         and  love  and 

faith  abide, 
God  save  from  all  disaster         and  woe  that  might 

betide ! 
And  yet,  I  hear  the  swords  clash,         and  see  the 

blood  flow  red — 
Hear  weeping  and  bewailing,         and  moan  as  for 

the  dead." 

The  minstrel  threw  the  viol  from  him,  so  that 
the  strings  brake  with  a  sharp  twang. 

"  A  spirit  from  below,  a  false  demon,  struck 
that  note  for  me  and  forced  me  so  to  play  and 
sing,"  cried  he  ;  "  but  I  will  conquer  him." 

And  thereupon  he  took  his  instrument  again 
in  his  hand  and  put  in  new  strings.  It  had 
grown  quite  still  in  the  hall ;  a  strange  horror 
seemed  to  have  crept  over  guest  and  host. 
Only  Hagen  appeared  unmoved  by  it.  He 
said : 

"  So,  too,  spake  the  mermaids  in  the  lake,  yet 
it  troubles  me  not." 

Volker  had  tuned  the  cords  of  the  viol,  and 
fiddled  and  sang  of  love  and  chivalry  so  charm- 
ingly that  all  terror  vanished  and  care  disap- 
peared, and  one  thought  only  of  the  happy 

return  home.     Thereupon,  the  guests,  with  fare- 
217 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

wells  and  kisses,  took  leave  of  the  most  noble 
ladies ;  but  Riidiger  gave  them  his  escort  with 
four  hundred  mounted  men  through  the  land  of 
Austria,  even  unto  Etzelburg,  where  he  was  to 
present  them  to  the  king  of  the  Huns. 

As  the  proud  castle,  with  its  battlements  and 
turrets,  came  into  view,  they  saw  a  great  body 
of  mounted  men  in  shining  armor,  who  rode 
rapidly  towards  them. 

"Those  knights  are  known  to  me,"  said 
Hagen.  "It  is  the  Bernese  Dietrich  with  his 
comrades ;  give  them  honorable  greeting." 

At  once  the  kings  dismounted.  Even  so  did 
Dietrich  and  his  knights. 

"  Be  welcome  to  the  land  of  the  Huns,  ye 
valiant  heroes  from  the  Rhine,"  cried  the  Lord 
of  Bern ;  "  but  I  know  not  if  ye  will  all  be 
well  received  and  cared  for  among  the  Huns. 
I  deem  that  the  noble  margrave  may  have  given 
ye  to  know  that  the  queen  yet  ever  laments  the 
powerful  Siegfried,  whose  death  she  intends  to 
avenge  on  my  old  comrade  in  arms,  Hagen. 
We  fought  aforetime,  shield  to  shield,  in  EtzePs 
battles,  and  thou  hast  averted  many  a  spear  from 
me,  so  will  I  now  come  to  thine  aid  so  much 

as  ever  I  can.     Yet,  on  account  of  the  queen, 

218 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

I  am  not  glad  because  of  thy  journey  to  the 
Huns." 

"  I  give  little  heed  to  the  hatred  of  a  woman,1 
since  I  have  come  here  in  the  service  of  my 
liege  lord,"  said  the  bold  hero.  "  Moreover,  thy 
good  faith  consoles  me,  most  noble  Bernese 
knight." 

"  Me,  too,  mayst  thou  bear  in  mind,"  spake 
Volker,  the  minstrel.  "  In  stress  of  battle  will 
I  ever  prove  myself  thy  faithful  comrade." 

After  many  greetings  and  talk  on  various 
subjects  among  the  knights  who  had  celebrated 
festivals  and  encountered  battles  together,  the 
kings,  with  their  escort,  rode  towards  Etzelburg. 
On  the  road  and  in  the  castle  court  the  folk 
crowded  about  the  valiant  Burgundians,  intent 
above  all  upon  seeing  the  far-famed  Hagen  of 
Tronje,  who  had  slain  the  powerful  Siegfried. 

1  This  speech  is  hardly  true,  except  as  an  index  of 
his  contempt  of  the  sex.  He  advised  against  this 
visit  to  the  Huns  for  fear  of  Chriemhild;  he  opposed 
the  marriage  with  Etzel  lest  it  might  make  her  strong 
enough  to  avenge  Siegfried's  murder;  and  he  plun- 
dered the  Nibelung  hoard  because  it  was  enabling 
Chriemhild  to  attach  too  many  valiant  knights  to  her 
personal  service. 

219 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

As  he  sprang  from  his  steed  and  went  to  the 
queen,  they  were  amazed  at  his  heroic  stature, 
his  broad  chest,  and  powerful  shoulders.  But 
many  a  man  was  shocked  when  he  gazed  upon 
the  grim  features,  framed  in  tangled  hair  already 
partially  turned  gray.  As  the  crowd  thickened, 
and  thereby  hindered  the  knights,  he  glanced 
about  with  his  solitary  eye  so  fiercely,  that  the 
Huns  retreated  in  horror,  as  from  a  serpent. 

The  knights,  led  by  Dietrich  and  Riidiger, 
reached  the  castle  court.  Thither  the  queen, 
with  her  attendants,  came  to  meet  them.  She 
greeted  the  kings,  and  kissed  the  young  Giselher, 
her  brother ;  but  to  the  knights  she  seemed  to 
give  little  heed.  Then  spake  the  hero  of 
Tronje : 

"  When  one  has  been  invited,  and  on  that 
account  taken  a  long  journey,  then  says  the 
host,  according  to  praiseworthy  custom,  '  Be 
welcome  !'  In  the  land  of  the  Huns,  meseems, 
this  fashion  is  not  known." 

"  Lord  Hagen  of  Tronje,"  spake  Chriemhild, 
"  by  thy  deeds  hast  thou  finely  sought  to  win 
such  a  greeting !  Hast  thou  perhaps  brought 
me  as  a  gift  the  stolen  Nibelung  hoard  ?" 

"  That  lies  sunk  in  the  depths  of  the  Rhine, 


220 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

until  the  world's  destruction  overtake  us,"  replied 
the  knight.  "Had  the  heralds  given  me  to 
know  that  the  queen  stood  in  need  of  gifts,  I 
am  rich  enough  to  offer  such." 

"  I  can  well  spare  them,"  spake  the  noble  lady. 
"  I  am  now  rich  enough  to  offer  even  to  all  the 
Burgundians  gold  and  jewels.  I  but  weened 
thou  wert  perhaps  willing  to  give  back  that 
which  was  mine  own,  which  was  stolen  from 
me." 

"  My  burden  is  heavy  with  shield,  helm, 
cuirass,  and  sword,"  spake  the  hero  ;  "  so  I  will 
bring  thee  the  Devil ;  he  has  much  hoarded 
wealth." 

"  I  desire  not  thy  gifts,"  cried  the  queen. 
"  Thou  hast  already  sorely  served  me  with 
treacherous  murder  and  cunning  theft ;  for  this 
I  am  still  thy  debtor." 

And  so  she  parted  in  anger  from  the  knight ; 
but  she  summoned  her  men,  and  promised  that 
upon  him  who  should  avenge  Siegfried's  death 
she  would  bestow  favor  and  great  wealth.  Then 
the  knights  took  counsel  among  themselves  as 
to  how  they  should  perform  this  service  which 
their  queen  required. 

Thereupon  the  queen  returned  to  her  brothers, 


221 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

and  bade  them  lay  aside  their  armor,1  and  to 
command  their  men  to  do  likewise,  since  it  was 
not  customary  to  stand  armed  in  the  presence 
of  the  king  of  the  Huns. 

"  That  will  I  disadvise,"  spake  the  hero  of 
Tronje.  "  I  intend  honorably  to  bear  shield 
and  weapon  before  the  king  as  before  the  queen. 
They  would  disarm  us  to  give  us  over  like 
fettered  cattle  to  the  butchers." 

"  Did  I  know,"  answered  Chriemhild,  "  who 
had  thus  suggested,  his  life  were  in  danger." 

"  That  man  I  can  name  to  thee,"  spake  the 
hero  of  the  Amelungs :  "  he  is  called  Dietrich  of 
Bern,  and  stands  before  thee.  He  knows  that  a 
fiendish  plot 2  has  been  concocted  to  murder  the 

1  In  olden  times,  when  there  were  no  inns,  perfect 
strangers  were  in  the  habit  of  freely  asking  and  re- 
ceiving hospitality  in  hut  and  castle;    but  as  surety 
of  good  faith,  in  those  days  when  deeds  of  violence 
were  common,  they  doffed  their  armor  and  laid  aside 
their  weapons  while  claiming  the  title  of  guests. 

2  Dietrich    appears    greatly    shocked    at    the    plot 
against  his  old  comrade,  ignoring  the  fact  that  the 
queen's  motive  is  revenge  for  the  treacherous  murder 
of  Siegfried  by  Hagen.   Besides  the  claims  of  a  guest, 
Siegfried  had  laid  the  Burgundians  under  great  obli- 
gations to  him  by  important  service  in  war  against 

222 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

knights  from  the  Rhine,  particularly  my  old 
comrade  of  Tronje." 

The  queen  replied  only  by  an  angry  glance, 
and  passed  on  towards  her  apartments. 

the  Danes  and  Saxons  and  by  rescuing  the  Burgun- 
dian  princess  from  the  dragon.  Hagen,  on  the  other 
hand,  had  no  claim  whatever  upon  the  queen  but  the 
claim  of  hospitality — a  claim  already  doubly  for- 
feited. We  are  hardly  permitted  to  suppose  Dietrich 
ignorant  of  Hagen's  unspeakable  crime. 


223 


VIII 

THE   BURGUNDIANS   AT   THE    COURT   OF 
KING   ETZEL 

WHILE  the  kings  were  still  talking  to- 
gether, Hunnish  knights  were  seen 
moving  about,  regarding  them  with  very  un- 
friendly mien.  Then  Hagen  asked  if  perhaps 
one  of  the  Burgundian  knights  would  go  with 
him  as  far  as  Chriemhild's  hall,  that  the  Huns 
might  see  that  they  were  without  fear. 

"Why  dost  thou  stay  to  question?"  spake 
the  bold  Volker.  "  I  am  thy  comrade  in  arms, 
and  I  have  so  keen  a  fiddle  bow  that  for  very 
bliss  heads  topple  off  their  shoulders  when  I 
begin  to  play." 

And  so  the  dauntless  knights  went  into  the 
inner  court,  and  seated  themselves  on  a  settle 
before  the  hall  of  the  queen.  The  noble  lady 
recognized  them  readily.  With  her  women  she 
descended  the  steps,  and  more  than  a  hundred 
well-armed  henchmen  gathered  about  her. 

Volker  would  have  risen  before   her,  but  his 

224 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

comrade  bade  him  remain  seated,  since,  other- 
wise, the  Huns  might  believe  that  they  were 
afraid.  Conspicuously,  across  his  knees,  he  also 
laid  the  good  sword  Balmung,  with  its  hilt  of 
jasper  and  its  scabbard  ringed  with  gold.  The 
queen  asked  him  why  he  bore  her  such  des- 
perate hatred,  why  he  had  treacherously  slain 
the  noble  Siegfried. 

"  Troth  !"  spake  he,  "  I  have  never  yet  denied 
that  I  did  it.  On  his  account  the  queen  of  the 
Burgundians  was  insulted,  and  the  royal  house 
brought  into  disgrace.  With  blood  must  the 
stigma  be  wiped  out ;  and,  because  the  hero 
was  too  powerful  for  open  fight,  he  was  craftily 
slain.  Though  I  be  blamed  for  this,  and  though 
vengeance  be  sought  for  what  has  happened,  I 
am  not  afraid.  I  conceal  naught;  here  am  I 
easily  found." 

Then  Chriemhild  turned  to  her  henchmen, 
and  challenged  them  to  chastise  this  slander  of 
their  queen.  But  the  two  intrepid  men  glow- 
ered about  them  so  grimly  that  none  of  the 
Huns  dared  lay  hands  on  them,  even  though 
Chriemhild  offered  a  rich  measure  of  gold. 

"  Gold   is,  of  a   truth,  a  goodly  boon,  but 

therewith  will  a  cleft  head  and  slashed  body  not 
*s  225 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

be  made  whole.  For  the  minstrel,  the  Devil 
does  stead,  and,  when  he  plays  his  fiddle,  lets 
none  escape.  And  Hagen  we  know  well, — how 
once  he  was  held  as  hostage 1  by  King  Etzel,  and 
fought  at  the  head  of  our  troops  with  Walter 
of  Spain.  In  those  days  he  was  young :  now 
has  he  increased  in  strength  and  wit.  Look, 
how  his  one  eye  flashes  with  rage,  as  if  he 
sought  whom  he  might  first  strike  down." 

So  spake  the  henchmen,  and  went  their  ways, 
but  the  queen,  full  of  shame,  retired  to  her 
chamber. 

The  message  now  arrived  that  the  sovereign 
of  the  Huns  desired  to  receive  the  noble  Bur- 
gundians  in  his  palace.  There  was  no  more 


1  In  the  Latin  poem,  Waltharius,  we  read  of  several 
instances  in  which  the  children  or  relatives  of  con- 
quered kings  were  claimed  by  Attila  as  pledges  of 
good  faith.  These  young  people  were  reared  at  his 
court  and  served  in  honorable  positions  in  his  armies 
or  formed  part  of  the  retinue  of  his  queen. 

In  such  relation  to  King  Etzel  had  Hagen  stood, 
and  Walter  of  Spain  and  his  beloved  Hildegunde, 
when  the  acquaintance  was  formed  to  which  reference 
is  here  made,  as  we  learn  from  the  above-named 

poem. 

236 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

delay.  King  Gunther  accompanied  the  Lord 
of  Bern ;  with  Gernot  went  Hawart,  the  tribu- 
tary prince  of  Daneland;  with  Giselher,  the 
noble  Margrave  Riidiger;  with  Dankwart,  the 
brave  Irnfried  ; l  Wolf  hart,  Dietrich's  liegeman, 
and  the  Thuringian  Iring  followed  with  the 
other  knights.  Hagen  and  Volker  parted  not 
company,  even  as  in  the  storm  of  battle  they 
fought  ever  shield  to  shield.  As  the  knights 
entered  the  great  hall,  Etzel  rose  from  his  chair 
of  state  and  bade  the  guests  welcome.  They 
should  be  well  accommodated,  he  said,  with  all 
their  attendants.  After  having  greeted  the 
Nibelungs,  he  remarked  : 

"  Now  would  I  fain  learn  who  those  two  com- 
rades may  be  who  stand  there  together  and 
seem  valiant  knights." 

"  It  is  Volker,  the  minstrel,  and  Hagen  of 
Tronje,  my  kinsman,"  spake  King  Gunther,  in- 
dicating the  two  knights. 

"  So  look  I  again  upon  thy  face,"  cried  Etzel, 

1  William  Grimm  identifies  Irnfried  with  King  Ir- 
menfried  of  Thuringia,  who  married  Amalaberg,  the 
niece  of  Theodoric,  the  Ostrogothic  king.  Hawart, 
Wolfhart,  and  Iring  appear  to  be  wholly  legendary 
characters. 

227 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

"and  greet  thee  as  an  old  friend,  most  noble 
Hagen !  But  thou  art  grown  to  be  another 
man  from  what  thou  wert  in  those  days  when, 
for  the  valiant  deeds  in  my  service,  I  loosed  thee 
from  the  bonds  of  a  hostage  and  sent  thee  free 
to  Burgundia.  Thou  hast  lost  an  eye,  thy  hair 
is  mixed  with  gray,  and  thy  face  is  marred  so 
that  thou  mightest  well  strike  terror  to  the  heart 
of  many  a  knight  when  thou  dost  draw  thy 
broadsword." 

"  Who  can  give  us  to  know,"  spake  the 
doughty  knight,  "  if  that  may  not  soon  occur  ?" 

"  Never  in  the  land  of  the  Huns,"  answered 
the  sovereign  ;  "  there  art  thou,  like  all  Burgun- 
dians,  an  honored  guest." 

Many  other  greetings  and  many  friendly 
words  were  there  exchanged ;  then  the  knights 
were  bidden  to  the  banquet.  It  was  just  on  the 
day  of  the  summer  solstice  that  the  Burgun- 
dians  arrived,  and  they  had  never  celebrated  the 
festival  so  magnificently  as  here  in  the  land  of 
the  Huns.  After  the  banquet,  host  and  guest 
liberally  imbibed  sweet  mead1  and  fiery  wine. 


1  "  Mead  is  a  drink  prepared  from  honey,  which 
from  time  immemorial  was  a  favorite  among  the  Ger- 
228 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

Not  until  late  in  the  evening  did  they  separate, 
and  the  Burgundians  were  shown  into  a  vast 
hall,  where  beds  with  downy  soft  pillows  and 
gold-bordered  coverlets  were  arranged  for  them. 

"  The  Huns  accord  us  great  honors  and  good 
quarters,"  spake  Hagen,  "but  methinks  they 
have  in  mind  some  wily  trick  against  us.  There- 
fore let  every  knight  keep  his  war  gear  in  readi- 
ness ;  but  I  will  be  chamberlain,  and  guard  well 
the  portal  against  attack." 

"  Then  I  am  with  thee,"  cried  the  minstrel ; 
"  by  the  swords  of  two  knights  is  the  entrance 
more  surely  protected  than  by  locks  and  bolts." 

Thereupon,  the  heroes  seated  themselves  upon 
a  stone  settle  before  the  portal.  But  Volker 
took  his  stringed  instrument  and  swept  the 
cords  powerfully,  until  the  walls  of  the  hall 
echoed;  then  ever  more  softly  and  sweetly, 

mans  next  to  beer,  and  indeed  gradually  displaced  the 
latter  beverage  from  the  first  rank.  In  the  eleventh 
and  twelfth  centuries,  mead,  in  Germany,  was  held  in 
equal  estimation  with  wine.  When,  in  any  region,  bee- 
raising  received  insufficient  attention,  the  honey  neces- 
sary for  the  preparation  of  mead  was  imported  from 
Poland,  where  this  is  still  a  popular  drink  and  excel- 
lently brewed." — Richter's  Heldensagen. 
229 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

until  the  men  slept.  Now  he  seized  again 
sword  and  shield,  and,  with  his  comrade,  kept 
the  watch. 

At  midnight,  by  the  light  of  the  stars,  the 
minstrel  saw  the  glitter  of  helms  and  shields. 
He  showed  it  to  his  companion,  who  at  once 
perceived  that  it  proceeded  from  the  queen's 
men  at  arms,  out  upon  a  midnight  errand  of 
murder.  Silently  and  stealthily  they  drew  near, 
but  retreated  in  alarm  when  they  caught  sight 
of  the  brave  watchmen.  The  minstrel  would 
have  sprung  out  among  them  and  given  them 
escort  with  sharp  blows  of  the  sword,  but 
Hagen  objected,  because  perhaps  a  body  of 
them  in  their  rear  might  make  their  way  into  the 
hall  and  murder  their  sleeping  friends.  So  the 
peace  was  maintained,  and,  as  the  blushing 
morning  dawned,  the  Burgundians  rose  gayly, 
girded  on  their  war  gear,  and  strode  armed  into 
the  temple  l  to  the  celebration  of  the  festival  of 

1  This  celebration  of  a  German  pagan  festival  within 
a  temple,  at  the  court  of  the  Hunnish  King  Attila, 
is  not  in  accordance  with  probability.  In  the  fifth 
century  the  heads  of  German  families  conducted  their 
worship  in  the  open  air,  the  people  having  few  priests 
and  no  temples.  The  barbarous  Huns  must  have  been 
230 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

the  summer  solstice.  King  Etzel  appeared, 
too,  with  a  great  retinue,  and  asked  in  amaze- 
ment, as  he  saw  his  guests  armed  in  the  temple, 
if,  while  under  his  protection,  they  had  met 
with  any  unfriendly  treatment.  But  they  kept 
silence  regarding  the  occurrence  of  the  night, 
and  said  only  that  it  was  the  custom  of  the 
Burgundians  to  go  armed  to  festive  celebrations. 
After  the  festal  offering,  a  plentiful  repast  was 
served ;  then  followed  games,  dances,  and  songs 
of  youths  and  maidens,  and  various  sorts  of 
amusements.  The  Huns  held  a  tournament 
and  invited  the  Burgundians  to  break  a  lance 
with  them.  Immediately  the  valorous  guests 
entered  the  lists.  The  knights  of  Dietrich  and 


at  least  equally  destitute.  The  poet  must,  therefore, 
have  added  to  the  ancient  Siegfried  tradition  many 
details  supplied  from  his  own  Middle-Age  surround- 
ings. It  is,  however,  by  no  means  improbable  that 
through  "  the  amalgamation  of  creeds,"  as  says  M. 
Saintine,  "  the  neophyte  remained  half  pagan  and 
half  Christian ;"  so  that,  though  anachronistic,  to  rep- 
resent men  as  "  going  devoutly  to  church  after  having 
consulted  the  Nix  of  the  river  as  to  their  future  fate" 
(as  did  Hagen)  is  no  doubt  a  true  picture  of  the  Ger- 
many of  the  early  Christian  days. 
231 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

Rlidiger,  too,  wished  to  measure  themselves 
with  the  heroes  from  the  Rhine  famous  in  arms, 
but  their  lords  forbade  them  to  tilt.  Therefore 
the  Nibelungs  competed  with  the  Huns  alone, 
and,  in  every  combat,  proved  that  they  were  far 
superior  to  the  latter.  The  games  were  ended : 
the  knights  desired  to  rest.  But,  as  they  were 
leaving  the  arena,  a  warlike  Hunnish  prince 
dashed  up  and  challenged  to  a  joust,  saying  that 
the  stranger  guests  had  measured  themselves 
only  with  the  common  folk,  not  with  princely 
heroes.  At  this  was  the  brave  Volker  angered, 
laid  his  lance  in  rest,  and,  as  the  knight  charged, 
thrust  it  into  his  body  just  under  the  rim  of  the 
shield.1 

1  The  tournament  was  not  a  battle,  but  a  game,  al- 
though a  rough  one,  in  which  serious  accidents  some- 
times happened;  yet  were  these  comparatively  rare, 
all  reasonable  precautions  being  taken  to  avoid  them. 
The  laws  which  governed  the  game  forbade  blows 
except  upon  the  helm,  shield,  or  breastplate,  which 
afforded  tolerably  effectual  protection  against  mortal 
wounds.  Failure  to  observe  these  rules  might  well 
give  rise  to  suspicion  of  its  intentional  violation.  Ac- 
cording to  Simrock,  there  were  four  nails  in  the  middle 
of  the  shield,  at  which  the  lance  was  aimed  in  joust- 
ing. 

232 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

"  Murder !  Blood !  Down  with  the  mur- 
derous knave !"  cried  the  Hunnish  knights,  and 
all  the  people  crowded  around  the  minstrel. 

Already  Hagen  stood  at  his  side,  already  the 
swords  flashed,  when  King  Etzel  rushed  into 
the  crowd  and  threatened  with  death  every  one 
who  should  harm  his  guests.  So  peace  was 
apparently  restored,  yet  passion  rankled  in  their 
hearts,  as  their  angry  looks  testified. 

The  knights  sat  again  at  banquet, — upon 
their  dais  the  king  and  queen.  When  they  had 
eaten,  many  a  beaker  was  drained  and  many 
a  kindly  word  exchanged  between  one  and 
another.  Then  Etzel,  in  happy  mood,  com- 
manded that  his  beloved  little  son  Ortlieb  should 
be  brought  in. 

"Behold,"  spake  he,  as  the  attendant  came 
with  the  beautiful  child,  "  behold  my  joy  and 
delight.  He  is  like  his  mother,  and,  if  he  be 
of  the  same  metal  as  her  first  husband,  so  will 
he  become  the  most  famous  hero,  and,  like  my- 
self, shall  be  a  powerful  king,  for  I  will  give 
him  twelve  kingdoms,  which  I  have  won 
through  many  a  hot  battle.  When  he  is  older 
I  will  bring  him  to  you  over  the  Rhine  that  he 
may  learn  courtly  manners  and  feats  of  tourney." 
233 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

The  knights  admired  the  lovely  child.  Then 
Hagen's  voice  was  heard : 

"Never  will  I  rank  among  his  courtiers. 
The  brat  looks  to  me  altogether  weakly  and 
miserable :  it  is  doomed  to  an  early  death." l 

In  displeasure  and  anger  all  eyes  turned  upon 
the  bold  hero  of  Tronje.  At  the  same  time 
from  without  was  heard  wild  tumult,  howling, 
the  clash  of  weapons,  and  the  ringing  stroke  of 
swords. 

1  This  doom  is  both  pronounced  and  fulfilled  by  the 
same  brutal  guest.  If  anything  could  be  added  to 
Chriemhild's  justification  for  seeking  Hagen's  life, 
he  appears  eager  to  add  it. 


IX 


STRIFE    BETWEEN   THE   BURGUNDIANS 
AND   THE   HUNS 

BEFORE  the  knights  betook  themselves  to 
the  banquet  in  the  Kings'  Hall,  the  queen 
had  spoken  secretly  with  the  Lord  of  Bern. 

"Thy  thoughts  are  busy,  valiant  hero,"  said 
she,  "  with  the  recovery  of  thine  Amelung  Land. 
I  will  provide  that  Etzel  shall  aid  thee  to  the 
full  extent  of  his  power,  if  thou  wilt  grant  me 
one  boon.  I  have  been  robbed,  like  thyself,  of 
my  dearest,  mine  only  treasure, — by  ignomini- 
ous murder  robbed  of  my  Siegfried,  the  most 
glorious  hero.  Avenge  him  on  Hagen,  the 
murderer." 

"Shouldest  thou,  most  noble  queen,  pledge 
to  me  the  land  of  the  Amelungs  and  that  of 
the  Huns  and  the  imperial  crown  of  Rome,  yet 
could  I  not  be  Siegfried's  avenger, — for  the  Bur- 
gundians  are  to  me  valued  friends,  and  in  good 
faith  have  they  journeyed  hither." 

So  spake  the  hero  of  Bern,  and  left  the  queen 
disconsolate. 

235 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

Then  came  Blodelin,1  EtzePs  brother,  hur- 
riedly and  in  anger.  He  told  her  of  the  arro- 
gance of  the  Nibelungs  and  how  Volker  had 
slain  a  distinguished,  worshipful  prince  in  the 
tournament.  To  him  also  she  spake  of  the  un- 
avenged death  of  Siegfried,  and  promised  him 
a  rich  hoard  of  silver  and  gold.  But  he  hesi- 
tated, out  of  fear  of  EtzePs  anger.  Howbeit, 
the  shrewd  woman  offered  him  another  mar- 
gravate,  with  castles  and  towns,  and,  thereunto, 
an  altogether  lovely  maiden  of  her  retinue,  who 
hitherto  had  disdained  his  suit.  These  promises 
won  the  Hunnish  knight.  He  said  to  her  that 
he  would  instigate  a  quarrel,  and  when  the 
Tronjan  came  in  haste  to  quell  it,  he  would 
have  him  struck  down  by  his  men,  bound,  and 
delivered  to  the  queen. 

After  making  this  compact,  the  queen  betook 
herself  to  her  chamber,  where  curtains  of  India 
silk2  admitted  only  a  soft  twilight.  Here  she 

1  The  historical  Attila  also  had  a  brother  named 
Bleda,  or  Blodelin,  and  this  is  one  of  the  circumstances 
which  prove  that  this  famous  Hunnish  monarch  was 
the  original  of  King  Etzel  in  the  Nibelungen  Lied. 

2  Window  curtains  were  more  indispensable  in  the 
Middle  Ages  than  at  present,  since  glass  window  panes 

236 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

reflected  upon  what  had  taken  place,  and  thought 
how  weak  mortals  can  never  foresee  the  conse- 
quences of  an  act  or  a  decision.  Then  the 
words  of  her  mother  Ute  occurred  to  her: 
"Women  often  shed  more  blood  with  their 
tongues  and  inflict  deeper  wounds  than  men 
with  their  swords."  She  was  about  to  rise,  to 
deter  Blodelin,  but  a  bier  seemed  to  appear  be- 
fore her,  and  thereon  lay  the  beloved  hero,  with 
the  death- wound  in  his  breast.  He  raised  him- 
self and  stretched  out  his  arms  towards  her.  She 
hastened  to  him,  but  the  vision  had  vanished. 
Waking,  she  had  dreamed  ;  but  to  her  it  seemed 
a  monition  to  revenge,  and  she  was  resolved. 

She  proceeded  to  the  Kings'  Hall,  and  seated 
herself  at  Etzel's  side.  Yet  she  took  no  part  in 
the  converse  of  the  heroes.  In  her  soul  thoughts 
surged  to  and  fro. 

"  And  should  it  cost  my  life,  or  that  of  my 
precious  little  son,  or  of  Etzel, — should  this 
castle  and  the  kingdom  of  the  Huns  fall  in  ruins 


were  rare  even  as  late  as  the  end  of  the  seventeenth 
century,  and  curtains  were  useful  not  only  to  secure 
seclusion    and    exclude    the    sun,   but    for    protection 
against  inclement  weather. 
237 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

over  me, — if  I  but  bury  the  murderer  with  me 
in  the  abyss,  I  would  die  gladly."  These  were 
her  thoughts  when  the  little  Ortlieb  was 
brought  in. 

Blodelin  meantime  had  summoned  his  men, 
and  commanded  them  to  arm  and  to  hold  them- 
selves in  readiness  for  a  sharp  fight,  since  he 
thought  to  give  the  arrogant  Nibelungs  a  lesson. 
That  was  to  all  glad  news.  They  followed  him 
readily  to  the  hall  where  Dankwart,  the  mar- 
shal, had  the  henchmen  under  his  charge.  The 
hero  rose  from  his  seat  to  greet  the  princely 
knight,  but  the  latter  cried  out  to  him : 

"  Prepare  to  die  !  The  queen  demands  bloody 
revenge  for  the  death  of  the  powerful  Siegfried." 

"  How  shall  I  atone  for  the  murder,  since  I 
knew  naught  of  it  ?" 

"  Yet  must  it  be,"  said  the  Hun ;  "  the  swords 
of  my  men  return  not  bloodless  to  their  scab- 
bards." 

"  Then  doth  it  repent  me  of  my  entreaty,  and 
I  give  answer  with  the  naked  blade." 

Thereupon  he  drew  his  sword,  and  dealt  the 
knight  such  a  powerful  blow  through  the  gorget 
that  his  head  fell  from  his  body. 

Wild  tumult,  cries  of  rage,  arose  in  the  hall. 
238 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

Spears  were  thrust,  swords  flashed ;  the  unarmed 
henchmen  seized  broken  pieces  of  tables  and 
seats,  and  with  them  shattered  helms  and  shields, 
heads,  arms,  and  legs ;  yet  were  a  great  number 
of  them  slain.  The  brave  Dankwart,  well  armed, 
strode  ahead  of  his  men,  and,  with  those  who 
were  left,  made  a  way  for  himself  out  into  the 
open  air.  But  here  other  thousands  fell  upon 
them,  and  the  little  company  were  all  slain  by 
the  murderous  weapons.  Only  the  brave  mar- 
shal still  stood  firm  and  undismayed;  showers 
of  spears  rattled  upon  helm  and  coat  of  mail ;  he 
desired  only  a  messenger  who  should  bring  news 
of  his  distress  to  the  kings  and  to  his  brother. 

"  The  messenger  shalt  thou  thyself  be,"  cried 
the  Huns,  "  when  we  carry  thee  dead  into  the 
hall." 

Meantime  the  powerful  knight  gave  himself 
not  up  for  lost.  Wheresoever  his  sword  struck, 
there,  too,  fell  a  Hun.  So,  grandly  as  a  victor, 
he  strode  through  the  throng,  reached  the  steps 
that  led  to  the  Kings'  Hall,  and,  covered  with 
blood,  entered  the  room. 

"  Up,  brother  Hagen  !"  cried  he ;  "  rescue 
me  from  the  faithless  Huns.  Sir  Blodelin  fell 
upon  me  and  our  folk,  to  take  vengeance  for 
239 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

Siegfried's  death.  He  lies  slain  by  my  hand, 
but  the  men  are  all  dead.  I  alone  escaped  the 
murderers'  hands." 

Then  Hagen  rose  and  spake  in  ireful  tones : 

"  Tell  me,  brother  Dankwart,  why  art  thou 
covered  with  blood?" 

"As  yet  I  am  unharmed  by  the  faithless 
Huns,"  answered  the  brave  man.  "  This  is  the 
blood  of  the  knights  that  my  broadsword  hath 
felled ;  therewith  are  my  battle  garments  wet." 

"  Then  be  doorkeeper  here,  that  none  crowd 
in  or  out,"  spake  the  Tronjan  hero ;  "  we'll  here 
hold  judgment." 

Thereupon  he  drew  his  sword  and  struck  off 
the  head  of  the  child  Ortlieb,  so  that  it  fell  into 
Chriemhild's  lap.  Then  he  inflicted  a  mortal 
wound  upon  the  attendant  of  the  child,  and 
struck  off  the  minstrel  Worbelin's  right  hand, 
as  he  mockingly  said : 

"That  for  thy  faithless  errand  over  the 
Rhine !" 

The  Hunnish  knights  at  once  rose  to  arms ; 
spears  whizzed  and  swords  flashed.  Then  King 
Gunther  sprang  into  the  midst  of  the  strife, 
seeking  to  check  it  and  part  the  infuriated  com- 
batants. In  vain !  He  himself  was  forced  to 
240 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

draw  the  sword  to  defend  himself  from  the 
Huns.  In  like  manner  did  also  the  powerful 
Gernot  and  the  young  Giselher.  Meantime  was 
Dank  wart  in  danger,  for  from  within  and  from 
without  he  was  hard  pressed.  Therefore  Hagen 
called  the  minstrel  to  the  support  of  his  brother. 
Now  was  the  door  effectually  barred  by  the 
swords  of  two  knights. 

In  consternation,  Etzel  and  the  queen  sat  in 
the  midst  of  the  hideous  tumult.  Dietrich  and 
Riidiger,  too,  who  took  no  part  in  the  conflict, 
were  distressed.  Then  the  Bernese  hero  rose 
and  called  loudly : 

"  Hearken  to  me,  Nibelungs !  Hear  my 
word,  ye  friends  from  Burgundia !  Let  there 
be  peace  between  us :  permit  me  to  retire  unmo- 
lested with  my  men  and  the  Margrave  Riidiger." 

King  Gunther,  recognizing  the  voice,  replied : 

"If  one  of  my  knights  has  harmed  thee, 
most  noble  Lord  of  Bern,  then  will  I  make  re- 
dress and  amends." 

"None  has  done  me  injury,"  answered  the 
knight,  "  but  I  beg  that  thou  wilt  grant  us  free 
egress." 

"  What  need  of  much  begging?"  cried  Wolf- 
hart  the  bold ;  "  we  have  sharp  keys ;  they,  verily, 

16  241 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

will  unlock  the  door,  though  a  hundred  watch- 
men keep  it." 

"  Hold  thy  peace,  haughty  comrade !"  an- 
swered the  Bernese  knight ;  "  thy  speech  is  void 
of  wit." 

At  the  same  time  King  Gunther  commanded 
his  men  to  cease  their  strife  and  open  their  ranks. 
Immediately  through  the  ranks  of  the  enraged 
Burgundians  the  Lord  of  Bern  passed  in  peace, 
— on  one  arm,  the  queen,  on  the  other,  King 
Etzel, — and  with  him  six  hundred  of  his 
knights.  Then  followed  Riidiger  with  four 
hundred  men.  To  him  Giselher  cried : 

"  Greet  thy  daughter  ;  say  to  her  that  dying  I 
will  remember  her." 

Many  Huns  attempted  to  escape  with  King 
Etzel,  but  every  one  who  ventured  it  was  struck 
down  by  the  sword  of  the  minstrel. 

In  the  hall,  after  the  withdrawal  of  Dietrich 
and  Riidiger,  the  hideous  butchery  began  anew ; 
nor  did  the  strife  cease  until  all  the  Huns  lay 
dead  or  dying  in  their  blood.  Now  the  Bur- 
gundians rested,  and  cleared  the  hall  of  the 
dead.  Hagen  and  Volker  guarded  the  door, 
and  cast  many  a  word  of  scorn  at  the  Huns 

without.     But  Etzel  loudly  bewailed  the  fall  of 
242 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

his  followers.  Chriemhild,  too,  shed  many 
tears,  and  offered  a  shield  full  of  gold  and  jewels 
to  him  who  should  slay  her  mortal  foe,  Hagen. 

One  ventured  his  life  at  the  call  of  the  queen, 
even  Iring  of  Daneland.  He  fought  bravely, 
wounding  Hagen,  yet  not  mortally  ;  then,  being 
himself  pierced  by  the  spear  of  the  Tronjan, 
dragged  his  dying  steps  to  the  feet  of  his  weep- 
ing sovereign  and  spake : 

"  Mourn  not  for  me,  most  noble  queen :  my 
life  is  spent,  and  tears  will  not  recall  it.  Faith- 
fully have  I  served  thee  and  the  king,  even  until 
death.  That,  in  dying,  is  the  consolation  of  a 
knight." 

To  avenge  the  fallen  hero,  Hawart  and  Irn- 
fried,  with  their  Danes  and  Thuringians,  made 
desperate  fight  against  the  Nibelungs ;  yet  were 
they  also  worsted  in  the  struggle,  and,  of  them 
all,  not  one  escaped  death. 

There  was  a  lull  in  the  storm  of  battle ;  albeit 
the  Burgundians,  all  of  whom  were  now  within 
the  hall,  were  aware  that,  without,  Etzel's  men 
were  ever  increasing  in  number,  until  a  host  of 
twenty  thousand  warriors  were  assembled  before 
the  palace.  And  now  the  Nibelungs  asked 
speech  with  the  king  and  queen,  that  they  might 
243 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

treat  of  peace.  This  was  vouchsafed  them.  Yet 
would  they  not,  at  the  demand  of  Chriemhild, 
purchase  their  safety  by  the  delivery  of  Hagen 
into  her  hands,  and  other  terms  she  rejected. 

Infuriated  by  this  refusal,  the  cruel  queen  now 
knew  no  mercy.  She  commanded  that  the 
wooden  part  of  the  palace  over  the  hall  of 
stone,1  wherein  were  the  Burgundian  knights, 
should  be  given  to  the  flames.  She  stood  by 
her  open  window  and  watched  the  conflagra- 
tion. Then  she  thought  of  the  past, — how  as 
a  gentle  maiden  she  could  not  be  present  when 

1  The  earliest  permanent  dwellings  of  the  Germans 
of  which  we  have  any  account  consisted  of  a  single 
room.  As  civilization  advanced,  other  apartments 
were  added,  but  often  as  detached  buildings.  The 
hall  (Saal),  as  the  principal  room  was  called,  to- 
gether with  the  watch-tower  for  observation  and  re- 
treat in  time  of  extreme  danger,  long  continued  to 
be  regarded  as  the  castle  pre-eminently,  separate 
buildings  being  provided  for  the  use  of  the  women, 
as  well  as  for  industrial  purposes.  King  Etzel's  pal- 
ace appears  to  have  included  several  very  extensive 
halls,  one  of  which  had  an  upper  story,  or  at  least  a 
roof,  of  combustible  material.  Both  the  poet  and  the 
artists  have  doubtless  exaggerated  the  splendor  of  the 
Hunnish  capital. 

244 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

the  game  of  the  forest  was  hunted  down :  now 
human  sacrifice  was  her  delight.  She  recalled 
her  first  maidenly  greeting :  "  Be  welcome,  Sir 
Siegfried !" — her  bliss  as  the  brilliant  hero  took 
her  hand  and  kissed  it.  Then  she  remembered 
how  happy  and  free  from  trouble  she  had  lived 
at  his  side  in  Netherland ;  finally,  the  hideous 
murder  and  the  scornful  defiance  of  the  mur- 
derer. Yes,  inevitable  fate  and  the  malice  of 
man  had  brought  it  all  to  pass,  that  her  heart 
should  be  hardened,  that  she  should  cause  rivers 
of  blood  to  flow,  that  she  could  see  her  brothers 
perish  in  the  flames. 

Tortured  by  smoke  and  heat  throughout  the 
night,  the  heroes  nevertheless  survived ;  and  in 
the  morning  the  queen  heard  with  amazement 
that  the  Nibelungs  still  lived  and  were  prepared 
to  take  up  the  conflict  anew.  As  she  was 
taking  counsel  with  herself,  a  Hunnish  chief- 
tain cried  that  she  should  summon  the  margrave 
of  Bechelaren,  who  held  in  fief  from  the  king 
castles  and  towns  and  great  wealth,  or  the  Ber- 
nese Dietrich,  who,  as  an  exile,  had  so  long 
been  a  recipient  of  the  king's  favor.  That 
seemed  to  the  queen  sage  advice,  and  she  sent 
messengers  to  Riidiger. 
245 


THE   HERO    OF   BECHELAREN   AND   HIS 
AVENGERS 

THE  noble  margrave  followed  the  messen- 
gers without  delay  to  the  royal  castle, 
where  King  Etzel  and  his  spouse  eagerly  awaited 
him.  The  liege  lord  spake  first  of  the  dire  disaster 
that  had  befallen  him,  recounting  how  the  guests 
from  the  Rhine  had  slain  his  little  son  and,  of  a 
truth,  all  his  kinsmen  and  lieges,  and  plunged 
the  whole  land  in  mourning.  Further,  he  re- 
minded the  valiant  knight  how,  aforetime,  ban- 
ished from  his  paternal  inheritance,  he  had  come 
with  his  few  vassals  to  the  king,  and  received 
from  him  the  richest  margravate,  great  wealth, 
and  honors.  In  return  for  these  he  had  thus 
far  rendered  faithful  help  and  service.  But  now, 
Etzel  continued,  the  time  was  come  for  him  to 
prove  his  loyalty  by  chastising  the  Nibelungs 
with  the  sword  for  all  the  harm  they  had  done, 
for  all  the  trouble  they  had  brought  upon  the 

royal  house  and  upon  the  land. 

246 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

"  My  lord  and  my  king,"  spake  the  worthy 
hero,  distressed,  "that  which  thou  speakest  is 
verily  true,  and  for  it  I  am  ready  for  any  ser- 
vice, should  it  even  cost  my  life ;  only  demand 
not  that  I  break  faith  with  those  to  whom  I 
have  pledged  it  under  mine  own  roof,  when,  in 
accordance  with  thy  command,  I  myself  led 
them  to  Etzelburg.  In  all  love  they  have 
trusted  me ;  the  young  Giselher  has  chosen  my 
daughter  to  wear  with  him  the  crown  of  Bur- 
gundia.  Methinks  'twere  ill  done  to  draw  the 
sword  against  such  friends." 

As  the  king  thereupon  reminded  him  of  his 
feudal  oath,  he  continued : 

"Take  back  all  my  castles  and  towns,  all 
wealth  wherewith  thy  bounty  hath  enriched 
me,  and  thereto  the  possessions  which  I  have 
myself  acquired ;  with  a  beggar's  staff  I  will 
go  with  my  wife  and  child  into  dismal,  distant 
lands ;  but  that  best  possession,  honor  and 
truth,  I  take  with  me  into  exile." 

"  Thou  canst  not  take  these  with  thee,  noble 
margrave,"  spake  the  queen.  "  Thou  dost  rob 
thyself  of  them  when  thou  refusest  obedience. 
Remember  the  time  when,  to  woo  me  for 
Etzel,  thou  earnest  to  Burgundia.  To  me  it 
247 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

seemed  ill-advised,  without  friend  or  helper,  to 
journey  to  the  barbarous  Huns.  Then  didst 
thou  swear  with  sacred  oath  to  be  my  helper 
against  any  foe  whatsoever,  only  not  against 
thy  liege  lord.  The  pledge  to  me  is  older  than 
that  thou  owest  the  Nibelungs :  break  it,  and 
thou  art  devoid  of  honor." 

Riidiger  long  stood  speechless  before  the  great 
queen,  then  said: 

"Take  my  life,  call  in  one  of  thine  axe-men, 
that  he  strike  off  my  head  and  lay  it  at  thy 
feet;  I  will  not  flinch  with  an  eyelid;  but  spare 
me  that  which  I  may  not  do." 

"Thy  life  I  desire  not,"  answered  Chriemhild, 
"  but  thy  sword, — that  is  demanded  by  thy  liege 
lord,  thine  oath,  and  thine  honor." 

Again  was  the  valiant  knight  silent.  Now 
was  he  pallid,  now  flushed.  At  last  he  cried: 

"Then  that  must  be  which  I  had  never 
thought  possible !" 

With  these  words  he  took  his  leave  and  went 
to  prepare  himself  for  the  conflict.  He  sum- 
moned his  men  and  bade  them  arm  for  battle 
with  the  Burgundians.  On  the  one  hand,  it 
gave  them  pleasure  that  they  could  measure 

themselves  with   the   most  valiant  of  knights; 

248 


^      OF  THE 

UN1V 
CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

but,  on  the  other  hand,  pain,  because  they  had 
lived  in  peace  and  love  with  them  at  Bechelaren. 

The  Nibelungs  were  feeling  the  refreshing 
influence  of  the  cool  morning  air;  they  peered 
about,  if  haply  some  unexpected  aid  might  not 
arrive.  Then  Giselher  cried,  joyously: 

"  He  comes !  the  faithful  helper  in  time  of 
need,  the  noble  margrave,  with  his  men  !  Oh, 
we  shall  again  see  Bechelaren,  again  behold  the 
Rhine !  Be  comforted,  good  friends,  for  neither 
will  the  Bernese  hero  desert  us !" 

"I  deem  that  faithful  helpers  do  not  come 
with  raised  shields  and  drawn  swords,"  spake  the 
minstrel.  "  I  ween  they  would  do  battle  with 


us!" 


Scarce  had  he  uttered  the  words,  when  Riidi- 
ger  stood  with  his  men  before  the  hall,  rested  his 
shield  upon  the  ground,  and  cried : 

"Ye  noble  Nibelungs,  prepare  for  defence! 
Grievous  though  it  be  to  me,  yet  must  I  draw 
the  sword  against  ye,  my  honored  friends." 

"May  God  forefend,"  spake  King  Gunther, 
"  that  thou  shouldest  take  our  lives,  when  thou 
hast  given  us  such  gracious  hospitality,  and  to 
every  one  rich  gifts." 

"  Would  that  I  had  been  long  since  slain  in 
249 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

the  storm  of  battle  with  my  foes,"  spake  Riidi- 
ger,  "  then  need  I  not  now  contend  with  loved 
friends ;  but  the  oath  that  I  once  swore  to  Etzel's 
queen  forces  me  to  this  deed  of  blood,  whether 
or  not  I  will." 

"  How  gladly,  noble  margrave,"  spake  Gernot, 
"  how  gladly  would  I  serve  thee  with  this  sword 
which  once  I  received  from  thy  hand,  were  it 
permitted  me  to  return  home.  It  has  done  me 
faithful  service  in  these  desperate  fights ;  yet, 
slay  my  friends,  and  thou  thyself  shalt  feel  the 
keenness  of  its  edge." 

"  Would  that  God  might  so  ordain,"  answered 
the  knight,  "that  thou  shouldest  carry  the 
weapon  over  the  Rhine,  and  I  lie  here  dead! 
And  if  that  come  to  pass,  then  take  my  beloved 
wife  and  orphaned  child  under  thy  protection." 

"  How  canst  thou  so  speak,"  cried  Giselher,  the 
youth.  "  All  they  who  here  stand  are  thy  kins- 
men, in  that  thou  hast  betrothed  to  me  thy 
daughter.  Wilt  thou  thus  early  widow  thine 
only  child  2  How  have  I  confidently  trusted 
thee  above  all  heroes,  since  I  have  sued  for  thy 
fair  daughter !" 

"  Be  mindful  of  thy  troth,  thou  whom  already 
I  call  son.  Should  the  grace  of  God  send  thee 
250 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

and  thy  kinsmen  homeward,  then  cause  not  the 
maiden  to  suffer  for  that  which  her  father  is  here 
compelled  to  do." 

"  Rest  assured,  good  hero,"  answered  Giselher, 
"  the  love  in  my  heart  wavers  not  while  I  live. 
Only  death  parts  me  from  thee  and  the  precious 
maiden,  should  we  all  die  before  thee." 

"  Vouchsafe  me,  too,  a  word,  noble  mar- 
grave," spake  Hagen.  "  The  shield  that  Dame 
Gotelinde  gave  me  in  Bechelaren,  and  that  I 
bore  faithfully  to  Etzelburg,  the  Huns  have 
hewn  in  pieces.  Did  I  bear  so  good  a  shield 
as  thou,  I  should  need  no  other  weapon." 

"How  gladly  would  I  offer  it  to  thee," 
answered  the  margrave,  "  were  it  not  for  Chriem- 
hild.  And  yet — take  it,  friend  Hagen,  and  bear 
it  on  thine  arm.  Ah  !  would  that  thou  might- 
est  bear  it  into  Burgundia !" 

As  Riidiger  so  readily  offered  the  knight  this 
generous  gift,  a  tear  glistened  in  many  an  eye, 
and  many  a  Burgundian  said  that  in  the  wide 
world  there  was  not,  nor  would  be  born,  a  hero 
like  Riidiger.  It  was  perhaps  the  last  gift  that 
he  bestowed  in  life.  Savage  as  was  ever  the 
spirit  of  the  Tronjan,  that  went  home  to  his 

heart  and  moved  his  soul.     He  said : 
251 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

"Now  God  reward  thee,  that  thou  hast  so 
armed  me  !  Towards  thee  I  keep  peace,  even 
shouldest  thou  slay  all  my  kinsmen  and  men 
from  Burgundia,  even  should  I  myself  be  threat- 
ened by  thy  sword — cursed  be  this  hand  if  it  be 
raised  against  thee !" 

"  In  like  manner  I  offer  thee  peace,"  spake  the 
brave  Volker.  "  Behold  this  bow  that  I  received 
from  Gotelinde's  hand ;  lay  this  in  my  grave,  if 
we  Burgundians  fall  in  battle,  and  tell  the  noble 
margravine  how  I  treasured  her  gift  until  death." 

The  men  of  Bechelaren,  eager  to  win  fame 
by  contest  with  heroes  so  renowned,  urged  on 
to  battle,  which,  as  it  raged,  grew  ever  more 
furious,  until  well-nigh  two  hundred  Nibelungs, 
and  all  the  men  of  Bechelaren,  lay  slain  in  that 
fearful  fight.  Gernot  fell  by  the  sword  of 
Riidiger,  and,  dying,  dealt  the  margrave  a 
mortal  blow. 

"Now  has  the  greatest  misfortune  befallen 
us,"  spake  King  Gunther ;  "  two  men,  to  us  the 
dearest,  lie  here  slain,  each  by  the  hand  of  the 
other.  Now  will  none  of  us  survive." 

Etzel  uttered  a  cry  of  horror  at  sight  of  the 
mutilated  corpse  of  his  faithful  vassal  Riidiger, 

and  cursed  them  who  had  killed  him.     Chriem- 

252 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

hild  stood  with  folded  arms  before  the  house, 
beautiful  still,  but  with  visage  lowering  as  that 
of  a  fallen  angel.  Only  a  few  tears  that  ran 
over  her  pale  cheeks  betrayed  that  to  her,  too, 
the  hero,  beloved  of  all,  had  been  a  valued 
friend — that  in  him  she  had  lost  the  last  instru- 
ment of  revenge.  Perhaps  she  was  planning 
new  ways  and  means  to  attain  her  object; 
howbeit,  it  came  to  pass  otherwise  than  the 
queen  thought,  for  mortal  men  seldom  discern 
the  dark  ways  chosen  by  inevitable  fate. 

The  palace  and  the  fields  round  about  re- 
echoed with  the  sound  of  weeping  and  wailing 
for  the  hero  of  Bechelaren.  This  came  to  the 
ears  of  one  of  Dietrich's  men,  who  hastened  to 
his  lord  with  the  woful  tidings ;  and  the  hero 
of  Bern,  when  this  report  had  been  confirmed, 
sent  Hildebrand,  the  aged  master,1  to  the  Nibe- 

1  In  the  sagas  it  was  common  to  appoint  some  hero 
of  great  skill  at  arms  and  of  wide  experience  to  coun- 
sel, protect,  and  train  in  warlike  exercises  a  younger 
king.  Such  was  the  office  of  Hagen  at  the  Burgundian 
capital,  though  for  some  reason  the  title  "  Master" 
was  not  customarily  given  to  him,  as  to  Hildebrand — 
perhaps  on  account  of  the  family  relationship  be- 
tween him  and  the  kings.  The  old  Master  Hilde- 
253 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

lungs  to  demand  how  and  why  they  had  done 
this  unrighteous  deed. 

Now,  Wolfhart  was  concerned  lest  his  uncle, 
Master  Hildebrand,  should  receive  evil  treat- 
ment at  the  hands  of  the  Burgundians,  and, 
because  of  this,  he  caused  him  to  go  armed 
upon  his  errand,  and,  sorely  against  his  will,  to 
accept  his  escort  with  nigh  upon  five  hundred 
men. 

The  spirit  of  the  Nibelungs  was  not  tamed, 
nor  were  their  replies  to  Hildebrand's  questions 
tempered  with  meekness;  so  that,  despite  the 
efforts  of  the  master  to  preserve  the  peace  in 
accordance  with  the  will  of  his  lord,  the  fiery 
Wolfhart  and  his  Amelungs,  eager  to  avenge 
the  death  of  the  much-loved  hero  of  Bechelaren, 
were  soon  engaged  in  desperate  battle  with  the 
Burgundians.  Nor  were  their  swords  returned 
to  their  scabbards,  for,  of  the  five  hundred  Ber- 
nese heroes,  Hildebrand  alone  survived,  and  of 
the  Nibelungs  there  were  left  but  Hagen  and 
King  Gunther. 


brand  has  no  counterpart  in  authentic  history,  but  is 
conspicuous  in  several  legends — even  in  one  of  very 
early  date. 

354 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

"  How  now,  Master  Hildebrand,"  cried  a 
rough  voice,  "now  shalt  thou  yield  payment 
for  my  comrade  Volker." 

It  was  Hagen  who  so  called  to  the  old  man, 
and  at  the  same  time  fell  upon  him  with  mur- 
derous blows.  The  master  defended  himself 
valiantly,  but  the  Tronjan  was  powerful  and 
grim,  and  Balmung  sharp.  A  fearful  blow  cut 
through  Hildebrand's  coat  of  mail,  so  that  the 
blood  gushed  freely. 

When  the  old  man  felt  the  wound  and 
looked  into  the  cruel,  hideous  face,  fear  fell 
upon  him  for  the  first  time  in  his  long  life,  and 
he  fled  like  a  coward,  his  shield  upon  his  back. 


255 


XI 

THE   LAST   OF   THE   BURGUNDIANS 

WITH  cloven  cuirass,  and  red  from  his 
own  and  others'  blood,  the  old  master 
entered  the  presence  of  his  lord.  When  asked 
if  he  had  fought  with  the  Nibelungs,  and  was 
therefore  so  drenched  with  blood,  he  reported 
first  how  the  Burgundians  had  slain  the  good 
Riidiger,  and  had  refused  to  give  up  even  the 
dead  body  for  burial.  This  was  a  great  grief 
to  the  Bernese  hero,  so  that  he  questioned  no 
further  how  the  dire  disaster  had  resulted.  At 
once  he  bade  the  old  man  arm  his  vassals. 

"  Whom  shall  I  summon  ?"  spake  the  master. 
"  The  knights  of  Bern  are  all  present :  thou 
thyself,  my  lord,  and  I ;  and,  also,  of  the  Ni- 
belungs there  remain  but  Hagen  and  King 
Gunther." 

Dietrich  at  first  failed  to  comprehend  these 
words,  but  when  he  rightly  understood  the 
tidings,  he  loudly  lamented  his  friends  and 
comrades 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

"How  is  it  that  the  brave  men  have  suc- 
cumbed to  the  battle-worn  knights?  Who 
shall  help  me  now,  that  I  recover  my  Amelung 
Land  $"  So  he  cried  in  his  distress. 

But  the  hero,  who  had  already  suffered  many 
woes,  raised  himself  at  last  in  his  strength,  and, 
with  Hildebrand,  strode,  well  armed,  to  the 
house  where  Gunther  and  Hagen,  leaning  on 
their  swords,  alone  in  the  midst  of  blood  and 
corpses,  with  unflinching  spirit,  looked  fate  in 
the  face.  They  saw  him  coming  and  forebode 
what  he  had  come  to  seek. 

Dietrich  reproached  them  with  having,  for 
all  his  friendship,  inflicted  upon  him  the  sorest 
injury,  and  called  upon  them  to  surrender  them- 
selves to  him.  To  this  Hagen  made  answer 
that  should  two  knights  in  full  armor  give  them- 
selves up  to  him,  that  were  as  dastardly  as  the 
flight  of  the  old  master.  Dietrich  challenged 
to  battle.  Hagen  first  sprang  forward,  and 
boldly  Balmung  rang  in  his  strong  hand,  and 
put  the  Bernese  hero  in  great  straits ;  but  the 
latter  knew  how  to  ward  off  and  avoid  the 
powerful  blows.  When  he  saw  that  the  brave 
man  was  weary,  he  made  a  sudden  pass  at  him, 
threw  him  to  the  ground,  and  bound  him. 
^  257 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

Then  he  brought  his  prisoner  before  Chriemhild, 
and  recommended  him  to  her  mercy,  since,  as 
he  said,  he  was  the  bravest  and  most  valiant 
knight  in  all  the  world.  He  was  aware  only 
of  her  thanks,  of  the  praise  for  his  bravery 
from  her  lips ;  but  he  saw  not  the  gleam  of  joy 
that  flashed  over  her  dark  face,  nor  heard  the 
jubilation  of  her  heart,  that  might  not  utter 
itself  in  sound.  He  hurried  away  for  the  last 
conflict — with  King  Gunther. 

Chriemhild  saw  her  goal  attained.  Over  the 
corpses  of  the  noblest  of  heroes,  through  rivers 
of  blood,  had  she  passed.  Now  she  stood  face 
to  face  with  her  mortal  foe.  Well  he  read  his 
fate  in  her  eyes,  yet  he  maintained  his  defiant 
spirit,  even  as  a  chained  tiger  that  with  glowing 
eyes  still  glares  at  his  vanquisher.  Then  it  oc- 
curred to  her  that  perhaps  she  might  wring 
from  the  abhorred  man  the  secret  where  the 
stolen  Nibelung  hoard  lay  hidden.  She  there- 
fore spake  to  him  at  first  in  kindly  words ;  she 
promised  him  a  safe  conduct  home  if  he  would 
truthfully  indicate  the  spot.  This  gentleness 
seemed  to  move  the  hero.  He  said  that  he 
would  gladly  reveal  to  her  the  secret,  but  he 
had  sworn  with  solemn  oath  not  to  betray  the 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

hiding-place  of  the  hoard  so  long  as  one  of  the 
kings  might  be  alive. 

Once  again,  most  emphatically,  she  assured 
him  that  she  would  keep  her  promise  if  he 
would  do  her  will ;  then  she  had  him  put  in 
safe  keeping. 

"  Lie  upon  lie  !  trick  upon  trick  !"  muttered 
he  to  himself  as  he  was  led  away. 

Soon  the  Bernese  hero  appeared  with  King 
Gunther  bound,  who  was  likewise  led  away,  but 
to  a  separate  cell.  Chriemhild  reflected  what 
further  should  be  done.  Siegfried's  murderers 
were  in  her  hands:  the  one  had  planned  the 
crime,  and  with  wily  craft  perpetrated  the  as- 
sassination ;  the  other  had  approved  and  sealed 
it  with  his  royal  word,  and  permitted  the  mur- 
derer to  heap  upon  her  scorn  and  injury,  instead 
of  lending  to  her  plaint  a  willing  ear.  He,  as 
well  as  his  companion  in  murder,  must  fall  a 
victim  to  her  vengeance.  Could  she  with  his 
head  recover  the  stolen  hoard,  that  were  a  gain. 
Painful  thoughts,  indeed,  rose  in  her  mind, 
warning  her  against  the  shedding  of  a  brother's 
blood ;  but  soon  she  overcame  them,  and  with- 
out faltering  continued  in  her  course.  The 
king's  head  was  severed  from  his  body  and  laid 
259 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

at  Hagen's  feet,  to  convince  him  that  the  last 
king  of  Burgundia  had  ceased  to  live.  With 
his  foot  the  hero  spurned  the  head  contemptu- 
ously. 

"  Thou  art  not  the  prince/'  he  said, "  to  whom 
I  pledged  my  troth,  whose  crown  I  would  have 
preserved  untarnished !  The  royal  house  of 
Burgundia,  to  which  I  belong,  is  desolated,  its 
splendor  is  departed.  Of  what  value  is  the  span 
of  life  that  remains  ?" 

In  the  night  that  followed  the  tempestuous 
day  Chriemhild  had  a  happy  dream.  Siegfried 
appeared  to  her,  grand  and  brilliant  as  in  the 
time  of  their  happy  union.  He  beckoned  to 
her,  stretched  out  his  arms  to  embrace  her,  and 
vanished — the  dawning  morning  had  dispelled 
the  image  of  her  dream. 

In  her  regalia,  Chriemhild  sat  by  the  side  of 
Etzel  upon  the  seat  of  state ;  the  mourning 
Dietrich  and  Master  Hildebrand  were  also  pres- 
ent. Upon  the  command  of  the  queen,  Hagen, 
disarmed  and  bound,  was  brought  into  the  hall. 
She  repeated  her  question  concerning  the  hoard. 
He  looked  up  to  her  with  the  usual  defiance  and 
scorn  and  answered : 

"Thy  wits  have  deserted   thee,  witch,  that 
260 


CHRIEMHILD'S   REVENGE 

thou  decmest  thou  hast  vanquished  the  hero  of 
Tronje,  and  tamed  him  as  a  lamb.  Now  are 
the  kings  dead,  Gunther,  Gernot,  Giselher,  who 
had  knowledge  of  the  treasure,  and  none  knows, 
save  God  and  myself,  where  in  the  depths  of 
the  Rhine  it  forever  rests.  But  from  me  wilt  thou 
never  have  tidings  where  thou  mayest  find  it." 

Chriemhild  in  silence  descended  from  her 
seat  of  state  and  seized  Balmung,  the  good 
sword,  that  lay  with  Hagen's  armor. 

"  The  gold,"  said  she,  "  that  thou  as  robber 
hast  taken  from  me  hast  thou  well  guarded; 
but  another  treasure  which,  with  shameless  hand, 
thou  hast  stolen  I  hold  here  in  my  hands.  That, 
my  precious  Friedel  bore  as  I  saw  him  for  the 
last  time  before  he  suffered  death  at  thy  murder- 
ous hand.  Now  will  I  try  if  it  be  able  to  avenge 
its  noble  lord." 

She  had  drawn  the  sword  from  its  scabbard, 
swung  it  with  both  her  hands,  and  the  head  of 
the  bold  Hagen  flew  from  his  shoulders  and 
rolled  to  the  feet  of  the  old  Hildebrand. 

A  cry  of  horror  went  through  the  hall ;  then 
all  was  still.  Chriemhild  thrust  back  the  bloody 
weapon  into  its  sheath  and  spake : 

"Let   not   the  blood  be  washed   from   this 
261 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

blade.  Balmung,  as  it  now  is,  shall  be  brought 
to  Worms  and  laid  in  Siegfried's  tomb.  Haply 
it  may  tell  him  that  his  wife  has  loved  him  truly 
and  taken  life  for  life.  My  life  was  love  and 
revenge :  its  work  is  done." 

"Marvellous,"  spake  Hildebrand,  "how  the 
boldest  hero  in  all  the  world  has  been  struck 
down  by  the  hand  of  a  woman  !  But,  though 
living  he  well  nigh  robbed  me  of  life  and  honor, 
yet,  whatso  may  therefore  befall  me,  I  will  avenge 
him." 

The  old  master,  with  these  words,  drew  his 
sword  and  struck  the  queen  a  death  blow. 
Etzel  uttered  a  loud  cry  and  fell  upon  his  knees 
beside  his  beloved  queen,  but  her  cheek  had 
grown  pallid.  She  spake  with  failing  voice : 

"Let  none  punish  the  old  master!"  Then 
Death  bore  away  his  prey. 

"  The  proudest,  grandest  heroes         lay  slain  in  bit- 
ter strife, 
And   in   the  land  was   mourning         and   grievous 

wailing  rife: 

Pain  followed  in  the  footsteps          of  Etzel's  wed- 
ding day, 

As  pain  love  follows  ever,         to  dim  its  dazzling 
ray. 

262 


CHRIEMHILD'S  REVENGE 

From  that  time  on,  I  know  not         what  did  that 

land  befall, 
Only  that  knights  and  women         and  noble  lieges 

all 
Wept  for  the  slain  in  battle.        Here  hath  the  tale 

an  end. 
It  is  a  tale  of  evil,         from  which  God  us  for  fend." 


263 


RETROSPECT   OF   THE   NIBELUNGEN   LIED 

F  I  ^HE  great  German  epic,  a  version  of  which 
JL  has  been  given  in  the  preceding  pages, 
originated  in  detached  songs,  sung  by  strolling 
minstrels  in  castles  and  towns,  without  regard  to 
time  or  place,  to  the  sound  of  the  harp  or  the 
viol.  These  songs  were  varied  according  to  the 
taste  of  the  singer,  enlarged  with  legends  of  the 
crusades,  or  of  dwarfs,  giants,  and  dragons  from 
Alpine  districts,  and  usually  transposed  from 
pagan  times  into  the  Christian  Middle  Ages  and 
cast  in  apparent  Christian  mold.  Even  so  the 
rhapsodists  of  the  ancient  Hellenes  wandered 
from  one  royal  court  to  another,  and  sang  the 
rhapsodies  of  Agamemnon,  Menelaus,  Diomedes, 
Ajax,  Odysseus,  and  the  divine  Achilles,  until  a 
Homer,  or  perhaps  several  poets,  combined  these 
various  songs  into  one  national  work.  A  simi- 
lar fate  attended  the  legends  and  songs  about 

the  Nibelungs.     With  creative  genius  a  highly 

264 


RETROSPECT 

gifted  poet  united  them  in  one  imposing  work, 
which  is  called  the  Nibelungen  Lied.  So  far  as 
beauty  of  form  is  concerned,  it  is  far  inferior  to 
the  Greek  epic.  It  has  about  it  much  that  is 
harsh :  the  easy  expansiveness  of  the  epic  seems 
disadvantageous,  in  that  it  unduly  delays  the 
progress  of  the  action.  Also  the  comparisons 
are  few  and  seldom  perfected.  The  poet  lacks 
appreciation  of  the  ideally  beautiful  in  form, 
which  was  peculiar  to  the  Hellenes,  and  which 
lent  to  their  works,  for  all  ages,  the  stamp  of 
great  perfection.  In  saying  thus  much  we  be- 
lieve that  all  defects  of  our  epic  poem  have  been 
indicated. 

On  the  other  hand,  our  song  has  great  and 
undeniable  advantages  over  the  Greek  poem. 
Among  these  we  mention,  first,  the  imposing 
general  scope  of  the  whole.  A  brilliant  hero, 
spotless  and  without  reproach,  the  fame  of 
whose  incredible  deeds  precedes  him,  woos  and 
wins  a  lovely  maiden,  who  has  grown  up  inno- 
cent and  far  from  court  life.  The  young  wife 
appears  to  be  without  fault,  modest  and  full  of 
love  towards  her  relatives.  When,  however,  her 
sister-in-law  ventures  to  defame  her  beloved  hus- 
band, then,  in  true  woman's  fashion,  she  gives 

265 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

herself  up  to  reckless  resentment.  Therefrom 
results  the  assassination  of  her  adored  husband, 
perpetrated  with  wily  hypocrisy.  The  gentle, 
tender-hearted  woman  seems  now  utterly  changed. 
Nevertheless,  love  for  the  man  who  has  been  torn 
from  her  remains  the  typical  characteristic  of  her 
being.  This  unalterable  love  drives  Chriem- 
hild  to  revenge.  Henceforth  she  has  no  other 
thought,  the  more  so  as  new  causes  for  offence 
arise.  Under  the  domination  of  this  passion  she 
rushes  on  until  she  herself  is  involved  in  the 
general  ruin. 

In  the  sequence  of  events,  as  disaster  results 
from  one  misdeed,  as  one  fate  attends  upon 
another,  the  master  hand  of  a  divinely  gifted 
poet  manifests  itself.  The  gradual  growth  of 
Chriemhild's  character,  from  its  innocent  youth, 
from  the  first  dawning  preference  for  the  hero,  to 
where,  as  his  avenger,  she  sees  rivers  of  blood 
flowing,  is  developed  before  the  reader  with 
fidelity  to  nature  and  with  inimitable  art. 

No  less  true  and  imposing  is  the  portraiture 
of  the  other  characters;  notably  the  brave,  spot- 
less Siegfried,  invincible  in  battle,  faithful  and 
unsuspicious  towards  his  friends,  and  hence  the 

easy   victim    of   treachery.      Confronting   him 

266 


RETROSPECT 

stands  the  fearful  figure  of  the  hero  of  Tronje, 
characterized  by  a  frightful  external  appearance. 
It  is  a  figure  as  if  cast  in  bronze,  immutable  in 
its  decisions,  reckless  in  its  choice  of  means, 
fearing  not  the  judgment  of  the  world  nor  that 
of  his  own  heart :  the  heart,  in  his  opinion,  ham- 
pering only  weaklings.  He  makes  no  secret  of 
the  deed  he  has  performed;  he  confesses  it 
openly;  and  the  avenger,  be  it  a  mortal  man 
or  be  it  inevitable  fate,  he  boldly  challenges  to 
the  arena.  His  purpose  is  to  protect  from  dis- 
honor that  royal  house  of  which  he  is  a  mem- 
ber. Yet  the  poet  allows  also  selfish  motives  to 
shimmer  through, — namely,  envy  of  Siegfried's 
fame  and  fear  of  his  superiority.  All  lands  are 
known  to  Hagen,  from  Isenland  to  the  home  of 
the  Huns;  and  he  conducts  the  expedition  to 
Etzelburg,  although  with  a  presentiment  that  it 
leads  to  ruin.  He  heeds  not  the  prophecies 
of  the  swan-nymphs.  Recklessly  he  affronts 
Chriemhild  at  Etzelburg,  and  when,  in  the  mur- 
der of  the  Burgundian  men-at-arms,  retribution 
breaks  upon  him,  he  heaps  up  new  horrors,  hew- 
ing into  pieces  the  child  Ortlieb,  killing  its  at- 
tendant, and  mutilating  the  harmless  minstrel, 

Worbelin.    In  the  battles  which  followed  against 
267 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

friend  and  foe,  he  stood  fearless  among  his  Bur- 
gundians,  without  wavering  for  an  instant,  help- 
ful not  alone  with  his  sword,  but  with  sound 
counsel.  He  maintained  his  attitude  of  defiance 
until  the  last  moment,  and  faced  Chriemhild  like 
a  victor,  when  already  she  was  brandishing  Bal- 
mung  for  the  death  blow.  But  yet  the  fearful 
knight  must  have  possessed  great  and  admirable 
qualities,  for  the  noblest  heroes,  such  as  Volker, 
RiAdiger,  and  Dietrich  of  Bern,  love  and  honor 
him,  and  the  two  latter  refuse  to  take  vengeance 
upon  him  for  Siegfried's  murder.  Only  the 
beautiful,  innocent  Dietelinde  shrinks  away  from 
him  when  she  is  bidden  to  kiss  him ;  she  is 
vaguely  impressed  that  wantonly  shed  blood 
stains  his  hands.  So  stands  the  Titanic  figure 
of  Hagen  before  us,  in  bold  defiance  compara- 
ble to  the  Prometheus  of  ^Eschylus,  but  still 
more  powerful ;  for  the  Greek  hero  bows  at  last 
before  the  supreme  power  of  the  Kronid,1  but 
the  will  of  the  Tronjan  breaks  not,  nor  bends 
from  its  undeviating  purpose  even  till  his  tragic 
death.  No  singer  of  the  Hellenes,  nor  of  the 
Norse  skalds,  neither  the  famous  Briton,  nor  any 


1  Zeus,  the  son  of  Kronos. 
268 


RETROSPECT 

one  of  our  more  modern  poets,  has  created  such 
a  Titan  ;  and  yet  this  powerful  character  is  de- 
veloped with  such  consonance  to  nature,  with 
such  inherent  truthfulness,  that  it  seems  to  be- 
long not  to  the  creative  genius  of  the  poet,  but 
to  the  realm  of  reality  itself.  One  inclines  to 
believe  that,  in  the  stormy  days  of  the  migration 
of  the  nations,  such  an  unusual  apparition  might 
well  have  arisen. 

Side  by  side  with  Hagen,  we  see  the  noble 
margrave  of  Bechelaren,  an  angel  of  light,  hon- 
ored and  beloved  by  all  for  his  faithful,  affection- 
ate, and  gracious  nature.  That  fatality  which 
the  poet  with  firm  hand  depicts  as  developing, 
partly  through  human  instrumentality  and  partly 
through  the  influence  of  an  unseen  power,  forces 
the  valiant  knight  to  wage  war  against  his  Bur- 
gundian  friends.  The  colloquy  preceding  this 
event  reveals  the  kindliness  of  his  heart.  There 
is  an  indescribable  charm  in  his  thrilling  reply  to 
Hagen,  who  has  begged  for  the  shield  of  the 
margrave : 

"  How  willingly  would   I   give         mine  own   good 

shield  to  thee, 

Were  Chriemhild  not  my  sov'reign !         yet  thou  art 
more  to  me. 

269 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

Then  wear  it  on  thine  arm,  friend;         I  yield  it  to 

thy  hand: 
Ah,  would  that  thou  mightst  bear  it  home  to 

Burgundia  land ! 

And  as  his  shield  so  gladly     he  gave  for  Hagen's 

need, 
Tears  filled  the  eyes  of  many,         touched  by  the 

noble  deed. 

It  was  his  last  bestowal,         for  unto  foe  or  friend, 
Riidiger   Bechelaren         could    no   more    give    nor 

lend." 

Equally  clear  and  bold  are  the  lines  with 
which  the  other  heroes  are  drawn.  Above  all, 
Volker,  the  brave  minstrel,  was  a  favorite  of  the 
poet.  In  courage  and  valor  in  battle  he  almost 
equals  Hagen,  whose  especial  comrade  in  arms 
he  was,  with  whom  he  stood  watch  when  the 
way-worn  knights  had  quietly  fallen  asleep  to 
the  sound  of  the  harp-strings.  He  appears  ever 
at  Hagen's  side :  only  in  treachery  and  murder 
he  took  no  part.  Dankwart,  too,  who  in  the 
first  division  of  the  song  appears  as  a  youthful 
hero,  in  the  second  as  a  powerful  warrior,  is  free 
from  the  inexpiable  guilt  of  Siegfried's  blood. 
He  breaks  a  gory  path  through  the  Hunnish 

knights,  and  gives  the   signal  for   the  general 

270 


RETROSPECT 

battle.  A  most  agreeable  presence  is  that  of  the 
young  king,  Giselher.  He  knew  nothing  of  the 
wicked  plot  to  which  Siegfried  fell  a  victim.  He 
gave  his  persecuted  sister  aid  to  the  extent  of  his 
ability.  In  the  hospitable  mansion  at  Bechel- 
aren  he  plighted  his  troth  with  the  fair  daughter 
of  the  margrave,  whereby  the  latter  was  united  in 
closer  bonds  with  the  Burgundian  royal  house, 
and  thus  became  an  object  of  greater  interest. 
It  reveals  the  gifted  poet,  that  he  brings  up  this 
incident  and  others  and  weaves  them  into  the 
general  plot.  Even  so  he  proves  his  master  hand 
in  the  picturing  of  the  passionate,  fiery  Wolf  hart, 
and  still  more  in  that  of  the  Master  Hildebrand. 
The  latter,  when  the  battle  becomes  inevitable, 
charges  on  in  advance  even  of  his  nephew,  and 
slays  the  invincible  Volker.  His  heroic  valor  is 
thus  placed  beyond  all  doubt :  yet  in  the  face  of 
the  grim  Hagen  he  takes  to  flight,  and  is  obliged 
to  endure  the  reproach  of  cowardice.  Notwith- 
standing this  stigma,  the  old  master  cannot 
suffer  that  a  hero  like  Hagen  should  be  slain  by 
a  woman.  He  therefore  takes  revenge  on  the 
queen,  and  closes  thus  the  tragic  poem  which 
has  come  down  to  us  from  the  old  pagan  Teu- 
tonic sources.  The  Christian  garb  in  which  the 

271 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

poet  has  clothed  it  is  foreign  to  its  true  nature, 
— mere  tinsel,  so  to  speak,  which  lacks  harmony 
with  its  environment. 

King  Gunther  the  poet  allows,  in  the  first  as 
in  the  second  part  of  the  song,  to  appear  as 
Hagen's  tool,  destitute  of  volition.  He  calls 
him,  it  is  true,  a  doughty  knight,  but  of  his 
valorous  deeds  he  recounts  little.  He  thus 
makes  the  more  conspicuous  the  shrewdness  of 
the  hero  of  Tronje,  who  is  really  the  principal 
hero  of  the  second  part.  As  a  man  of  still 
weaker  character  King  Etzel  is  represented,  so 
that  he  has  little  in  common  with  the  fearful 
Hunnish  king,  Attila.  His  power,  his  wealth, 
are  due  to  the  great  extent  of  his  empire ;  per- 
haps, too,  as  the  poem  here  and  there  suggests, 
to  deeds  of  valor  in  his  youth.  In  the  song 
itself  he  appears  as  a  good-natured,  hospitable 
ruler,  who  readily  receives  exiled  princes  and 
knights,  accords  them  asylum,  amiably  enter- 
tains guests,  but,  for  the  rest,  possesses  no  firm- 
ness of  will  and,  for  war,  no  courage.  The 
poet,  by  this  means,  has  secured  a  contrast  to 
the  valorous  knights,  who  all,  with  undaunted 
spirit,  look  death  in  the  face. 

Hitherto  we  have  always  spoken  of  one  poet, 
272 


RETROSPECT 

but  it  is,  with  reason,  regarded  as  unquestionable 
that  more,  probably  two,  gifted  singers  created 
the  imposing  work  of  the  Nibelungen  Lied  from 
older  treasures  of  song.  Some  differences  in 
the  language  are  perceptible  upon  comparison 
of  the  first  with  the  second  part ;  also  many  in- 
congruities of  incident.  For  example,  Dank- 
wart  says  that  at  the  time  of  Siegfried's  murder 
he  was  a  child,  while  in  the  journey  to  Isenland 
he  already  appears  as  a  youthful  hero.  How- 
ever, the  former  representation  might  be  owing 
to  the  original  sources,  the  old  rhapsodies  that 
lie  at  the  foundation  of  our  song;  the  latter, 
one  might  well  regard  as  an  oversight  on  the 
part  of  the  poet.  On  the  oth£r  hand,  another 
reason  for  the  assumption  of  two  composers 
appears  decisive.  Brunhild,  who  in  the  first 
part  plays  an  important  role,  indeed,  in  the  Norse 
poetry  is  the  most  conspicuous  character,  dis- 
appears almost  without  trace  in  the  Nibelungen 
Not.  The  poet  appears  to  have  forgotten  her 
entirely,  a  neglect  which  is  in  no  way  counter- 
balanced by  her  mention  in  the  later  and  far 
inferior  supplement,  Die  Klage — "  The  Lament" 
— since  this  supplement  was  evidently  composed 
by  a  ballad  singer  of  little  merit.  The  gifted 

18  273 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

singer  of  the  Not,  on  the  contrary,  had  thor- 
oughly familiarized  himself  with  the  rich 
material  at  his  disposal.  His  command  of  it 
was  masterly,  so  that,  notwithstanding  a  few 
slight  incongruities,  a  uniform  imposing  work,  a 
precious  inheritance  from  old  Teutonic  peoples, 
has  resulted.  May  our  version  of  it  be  to  some 
small  extent  instrumental  in  securing  for  this 
rare  jewel  of  the  German  nation  a  truer  recog- 
nition and  appreciation. 


J74 


THE  ARGUMENT  AND  SOURCES 

OF 

WAGNER'S  MUSIC-DRAMA 
THE  NIBELUNGEN  RING 


THE  NIBELUNGEN  RING 

'  I  AHE  Nibelungen  Lied  has  been  thought  by 
JL  many,  who  have  given  the  subject  com- 
paratively little  attention,  to  be  the  sole  source 
from  which  Richard  Wagner  drew  the  material 
for  the  text  of  his  famous  drama,  Der  Ring  des 
Nibelungen  (The  Nibelungen  Ring,  or,  literally 
translated,  The  Ring  of  the  Nibelung).  A 
glance  at  the  argument  of  Wagner's  work  will 
convince  the  readers  of  the  foregoing  pages  that 
the  later  poem  is  not  a  mere  dramatization  of 
the  earlier,  but  differs  from  it  essentially,  both  in 
incident  and  in  the  portraiture  of  characters. 
From  many  sources  the  great  composer  and 
dramatist  has  gathered  that  which  seemed  best 
suited  to  his  purpose,  omitting,  combining, 
enlarging,  and  even  inventing,  until  a  drama  has 
been  produced  which  has  as  well  founded  a 
claim  to  originality  as  many  of  Shakespeare's 
plays. 

Wagner's  Nibelungen  Ring   consists  of  four 
operas,  the  Tetralogy,  dealing  with  the  struggle 
277 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

for  the  possession  of  a  magic  ring,  originally  the 
property  of  the  Nibelung  Alberich.  The  first 
opera,  Das  Rheingold,  is  introductory  to  the 
other  three,  the  Trilogy,  composed  of  Die 
Walkure  (The  Valkyr),  Siegfried,  and  Got- 
terddmmerung  (Twilight  of  the  Gods).  As 
each  part  of  the  Trilogy  is  given  a  separate  day 
for  presentation,  they  are  also  designated  as  the 
First,  Second,  and  Third  Days  of  the  Trilogy. 

In  Rheingold  we  are  told  of  the  precious 
metal  which  lies  buried  in  the  depths  of  the 
Rhine,  guarded  by  water-nymphs.  Of  this 
gold,  he  who  will  forswear  love  will  be  able 
to  form  a  ring  which  shall  possess  the  magic 
property  of  increasing  without  limit  the  wealth 
and  power  of  its  owner.  Now  three  orders  of 
beings,  the  gods,  the  giants,  and  the  dwarfs,  or 
Nibelungs,  contend  for  dominion  over  the  world. 
Alberich,  a  Nibelung,  covets  the  magic  ring, 
fulfils  the  conditions,  and  secures  it  for  himself. 
He  forces  into  his  service  his  brother,  Mime 
(Mimer),  a  skilful  smith,  and  compels  him  to 
forge  for  him  a  helmet  which  will  enable  its 
wearer  to  take  any  desired  shape,  and  to  find 
himself  instantly  transported  to  any  spot,  how- 
ever distant,  where  he  may  desire  to  be. 

278 


THE  NIBELUNGEN   RING 

The  gods  desired  that  a  fitting  abode  should 
be  built  for  themselves,  and  Wotan,  their  chief, 
contracted  with  the  giants  Fasolt  and  Fafner 
for  the  same.  Seeking  advice  of  Loge,  the 
spirit  of  evil,  the  giants  demanded,  as  reward 
for  their  labor,  the  gift  of  the  goddess  Freia 
(Freya).  Now,  Freia  it  was  from  whose  hands 
the  gods  daily  received  that  golden  fruit  which 
preserved  their  youth,  and  the  giants  well  knew 
that,  deprived  of  this  nourishment,  Wotan  and 
his  hosts  must  soon  succumb  to  age  and  death. 
Yet  the  gods  consented  to  the  demand  of  the 
giants,  believing  that  Loge  would  aid  them  in 
evading  the  conditions. 

Valhalla,  the  home  and  fortress  of  the  gods, 
is  finished  in  accordance  with  the  contract,  and 
the  giants  insist  upon  their  wage.  Loge  is  sent 
through  the  world  to  seek  something  sufficiently 
attractive  to  ransom  the  goddess,  but  reports 
that  nothing  seems  to  be  more  esteemed  than 
woman,  save  by  one  dwarf,  who  has  forsworn 
love  to  possess  himself  of  a  treasure  of  gold. 
The  giants,  alarmed  to  hear  of  such  wealth  in 
the  hands  of  their  enemies,  finally  agree  to  ran- 
som the  goddess  for  a  pile  of  this  gold  so  great 

that  she  would  be  completely  hidden  behind  it. 

279 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

Wotan  consents  to  this  bargain,  and  goes  with 
Loge  in  search  of  Alberich,  to  obtain  from  him 
his  treasure.  By  the  temptation  to  prove  his 
magic  power,  Alberich  is  beguiled  into  taking 
the  form  of  a  toad,  and,  thus  defenceless,  is  easily 
robbed  of  his  gold,  his  ring,  and  his  Tarnkappe 
(magic  helmet).  Enraged  at  his  loss,  he  lays  a 
curse  upon  the  ring,  swearing  that  it  shall  bring 
ruin  upon  him  who  may  possess  it,  and  be 
coveted  by  them  who  have  it  not,  until  it  again 
be  restored  to  its  first  owner.  Wotan,  never- 
theless, greatly  desires  to  retain  this  trinket. 

The  gold  of  the  hoard  is  piled  up  before 
Freia  for  her  ransom,  but  the  giants  declare  that 
they  can  still  see  the  hair  of  the  goddess  above 
it,  and  that  through  a  tiny  chink  her  eye  is 
visible ;  and  so  the  Tarnkappe  and  the  ring  are 
reluctantly  added  to  the  glittering  gold,  and  the 
conditions  of  the  bargain  are  acknowledged  to 
be  fulfilled. 

The  curse  which  rests  upon  the  ring  seems 
not  tardy  in  its  operation.  So  long  as  Wotan 
retained  the  fatal  treasure,  Freia  was  a  captive, 
and  he  might  not  taste  the  life-giving  fruit  of  the 
gods.  Bestowed  upon  the  giants,  the  ring 

breeds  strife  between  them,  until,  in  the  struggle 

280 


THE  NIBELUNGEN   RING 

for  its  possession,  Fasolt  is  killed  by  his  brother, 
and  Fafner,  by  virtue  of  his  Tarnkappe,  takes 
the  form  of  a  monstrous  dragon  and  retires  to 
the  depths  of  the  forest,  there  to  live  a  wretched 
life  devoted  to  the  protection  of  his  ill-gotten 
wealth. 

The  opera,  Die  Walkure,  bears  the  name 
which  designates  those  martial  daughters  of 
Wotan,  whose  mission  it  was  to  conduct  to  the 
home  of  the  gods  the  heroes  slain  in  battle. 
These  warriors  Wotan  gathered  about  him  that 
he  might  have  a  force  for  his  defence ;  for 
Erda,1  the  all-wise,  had  prophesied  that  the  fall 
of  the  gods  was  imminent,  and  warned  Wotan 
that,  should  the  magic  ring  find  its  way  again 
to  the  hands  of  Alberich,  his  bitterest  enemy, 
the  catastrophe  would  be  inevitable. 

The  only  possible  way  for  the  gods  to  regain 
possession  of  this  ring,  so  potent  a  menace  in 
the  hands  of  their  foes,  seems  to  be  through 
human  instrumentality ;  for  their  contract  with 
the  giants  prohibits  themselves  from  any  direct 
effort  to  wrest  the  treasure  from  Fafner.  But 


1See  p.  303. 
281 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

among  the  race  of  men  none  is  mighty  enough 
to  conquer  the  fierce  dragon.  Therefore  Wotan, 
under  the  name  of  Walse,  establishes  the  family 
of  Walsungs  (or  Volsungs)  by  taking  to  him- 
self a  wife  of  the  children  of  men,  and,  in  the 
depths  of  the  forest,  making  a  home  for  her  and 
their  two  children,  the  twin  brother  and  sister, 
Siegmund  and  Sieglinde. 

Often  father  and  son  roam  through  the  woods 
together,  and  once,  returning  from  the  chase, 
they  find  their  home  in  ruins,  the  mother  slain, 
and  of  the  sister  no  trace.  From  that  time  on, 
Wotan  and  Siegmund  find  themselves  pursued 
by  secret  enemies.  Finally  the  son  becomes 
separated  from  the  father,  and  wanders  alone 
and  disheartened  through  the  world,  apparently 
shunned  and  hated  by  those  whom  he  ventures 
to  approach.  Once  he  attempts  the  defence  of 
a  maiden,  and  kills  her  two  brothers,  by  whom 
she  has  been  cruelly  treated.  The  relatives  of 
the  slain  men  ruthlessly  pursue  the  hero,  until, 
finally  escaping  them,  he  sinks  exhausted  by 
the  hearth  of  a  stranger,  where  we  find  him  in 
the  opening  scene  of  the  opera.  This  stranger 
is  a  man  by  the  name  of  Hunding,  and  is  even 

now  absent  from  home  in  vengeful  search  of 

282 


THE  NIBELUNGEN  RING 

him  who  has  murdered  two  of  his  relatives. 
His  wife  is  Sieglinde.  The  sister  cares  tenderly 
for  her  brother,  each  failing  to  recognize  the 
other,  yet  conscious  of  an  undefined  mutual 
attraction. 

Upon  Hunding's  almost  immediate  return  he 
questions  his  guest,  and,  learning  that  the  enemy 
whom  he  has  sought  is  sharing  his  own  fireside, 
promises  him  hospitality  only  until  the  dawn 
of  day,  and  bids  him  prepare  then  for  defence. 
With  gloomy  forebodings  Siegmund  awaits  the 
morning,  reflecting  upon  his  weaponless  condi- 
tion, yet  recalling  the  promise  of  his  father  that 
in  his  direst  need  a  sword  should  be  provided  for 
him. 

In  the  watches  of  the  night  Sieglinde  seeks 
her  guest,  and  tells  of  a  sword  thrust  deep  into 
the  heart  of  a  tree  by  a  mysterious  stranger  who 
had  appeared  at  her  unhappy  wedding,  and  who 
had  promised  this  weapon  to  him  who  should 
be  able  to  draw  it  out.  Many  had  essayed  the 
task,  but  none  had  succeeded.  Sufferings  past, 
dangers  anticipated,  the  voluptuous  charm  of  the 
spring  night-time,  and  the  affinity  of  their  god- 
like natures,  move  these  children  of  Wotan  to 

confidences  ever  deeper  and  more  tender,  until, 
283 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

with  the  freedom  of  the  myth  and  the  allegory, 
the  love  of  the  brother  and  sister  merges  in  a 
warmer  sentiment,  and  Siegmund  claims  Sieg- 
linde  as  his  bride.  With  godlike  strength  the 
hero  wrenches  the  sword  from  the  tree-trunk  in 
which  Wotan  has  imbedded  it,  and  the  lovers 
fly  together. 

But  the  wrong  suffered  by  Hunding  is  not 
regarded  with  indifference  in  the  halls  of  Val- 
halla. Fricka,  the  wife  of  Wotan,  is  the  guar- 
dian goddess  of  wedlock,  and  she  vehemently 
insists  that  the  power  of  the  gods  shall  be  exerted 
for  the  succor  of  Hunding  in  his  conflict  with 
Siegmund.  Wotan,  forced  to  acknowledge  that 
in  aiding  the  Walsung  he  should  by  an  indirect 
attempt  to  outwit  Fafner  be  faithless  to  his  con- 
tract with  the  giants,  reluctantly  consents  at  last 
to  the  overthrow  of  the  hero,  from  whom  he 
had  fondly  hoped  for  effectual  assistance  in 
regaining  the  magic  ring. 

The  Valkyr,  Brlinnhilde  (Brunhild),  the  favor- 
ite of  her  father,  receives  from  him  the  com- 
mand to  allow  Siegmund  to  be  slain  in  the 
impending  conflict.  Wotan  does  not  conceal 
from  his  daughter  the  distress  that  this  sentence 
causes  him;  on  the  contrary,  at  her  entreaty, 

284 


THE  NIBELUNGEN  RING 

confides  to  her  the  hopes  he  has  cherished,  the 
fears  by  which  he  is  assailed,  and  the  neces- 
sity which  constrains  him  to  withdraw  his  pro- 
tection from  his  son.  Brunnhilde  departs  to 
announce  to  Siegrmind  his  fate,  when,  impressed 
by  his  devotion  to  Sieglinde  and  influenced  by 
her  knowledge  of  her  father's  desire  for  his  life, 
she  rashly  decides  to  succor  the  man  condemned 
by  the  gods.  The  encounter  between  the  out- 
raged husband  and  his  foe  takes  place  in  the 
forest  whither  the  lovers  have  fled.  Briinnhilde's 
attempts  to  aid  Siegmund  are  foiled  by  Wotan 
himself,  and  the  hero  is  slain.  In  punishment 
for  her  disobedience,  the  god  condemns  his  fa- 
vorite daughter  to  the  loss  of  her  rank  as  Valkyr, 
to  marriage  with  any  man  who  may  be  able  to 
waken  her  from  the  deep  sleep  which  shall  fall 
upon  her  on  the  lonely  mountain  whither  she  is 
banished,  and,  since  she  has  chosen  to  be  the 
champion  of  love,  henceforth  to  be  its  slave. 
Only  one  grace  Brunnhilde  implores :  that  the 
mountain  whereon  she  must  sleep  may  be  encir- 
cled by  a  barrier  of  flame,  through  which  none 
but  a  hero  would  venture  for  the  capture  of  a 
maiden.  Wotan,  consenting,  summons  Loge, 
the  spirit  of  evil,  and  bids  him  return  to  the 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

form  which  was  his  in  the  beginning,  and,  as 
unquenchable  flame,  encompass  the  mount  on 
which  sleeps  Briinnhilde,  the  Valkyr. 

The  title  of  the  second  opera  of  the  Trilogy, 
Siegfried^  is  the  name  which  Briinnhilde  bade 
Sieglinde  bestow  upon  her  child,  destined  to  re- 
cover the  ring,  in  which  task  his  father  had  failed. 
The  unfortunate  Sieglinde,  after  Siegmund  has 
been  slain,  seeks  refuge  in  that  forest  where  the 
giant  Fafner  guards  his  Nibelung  hoard.  There 
she  gives  birth  to  her  son,  and,  dying,  confides 
him  to  the  care  of  the  smith  Mime,  brother  of 
the  dwarf  Alberich,  together  with  the  pieces  of 
Siegmund's  sword  Nothung,  which  Briinnhilde 
has  rescued  for  the  child's  inheritance. 

Mime  rears  the  boy  carefully,  hoping  to  make 
use  of  his  strength,  his  courage,  and  his  sword, 
to  slay  the  dragon  and  gain  possession  of  the 
ring.  He  refrains,  however,  from  imparting  to 
him  the  secret  of  his  parentage,  wishing  to  claim 
for  his  own  purposes  the  youth's  filial  affection 
and  duty.  But  Siegfried,  grown  to  manhood, 
disdains  the  idea  of  relationship  to  the  hideous 
dwarf,  and  insists  upon  knowing  his  own  origin, 

a  demand  to  which  Mime  reluctantly  yields. 

286 


WOTAN   S    FAREWELL    TO    BRUNNHILDE 


^f^i 


^4/£ORN\b 


THE  NIBELUNGEN   RING 

Wo  tan,  having  withdrawn  his  favor  from  the 
race  of  mortals  who  owed  to  him  their  being,  in 
the  guise  of  a  wanderer,  leads  Mime  into  a  con- 
test of  wit,  apparently  designed  to  afford  the 
smith  an  opportunity  of  learning  how  to  reforge 
Nothung,  the  all-powerful  sword,  and  so  to  re- 
tain supremacy  over  Siegfried,  who  hates  him. 
Mime  foolishly  wastes  his  opportunity,  and  is 
worsted  in  the  conflict,  in  which  the  Wanderer 
has  warned  him  that  his  life  is  at  stake,  and  the 
sentence  is  pronounced  that  his  head  shall  fall  by 
the  hand  of  him  who  knows  no  fear. 

Now,  Siegfried  is  a  youth  of  utter  fearlessness 
and  superhuman  prowess,  qualities  in  which 
Mime  has  hitherto  rejoiced  as  furthering  his  sel- 
fish aims.  In  perplexity  and  terror  the  smith 
realizes  that,  unless  the  boy  can  be  taught  to 
fear,  the  master  will  be  slain  by  his  pupil ;  and 
that  if  the  lesson  be  learned,  there  will  be  none 
able  to  vanquish  the  dragon,  for  which  no  ordi- 
nary strength  nor  ordinary  sword  would  avail. 
The  dwarf  first  attempts  intimidation,  but  the 
courage  of  this  son  of  the  gods  is  indomitable. 
He  is  confronted  with  the  dragon,  but  far  from 
flinching  at  the  sight,  after  a  short  contest  he 

slays  the  monster  with  the  sword  which  he  him- 
287 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

self  has  forged  from  the  fragments  of  his  father's 
Nothung,  and,  accidentally  tasting  the  blood  of 
the  reptile,  he  finds  himself  endowed  with  the 
gift  of  understanding  the  language  of  birds.  By 
them  made  aware  of  Mime's  intention  to  poison 
him,  he  slays  the  hated  dwarf,  and,  following  the 
counsel  of  the  birds,  takes  possession  of  the 
Tarnkappe  and  the  ring,  leaving  the  gold  in  the 
safe  stronghold  of  the  dragon.  The  feathered 
songsters,  moreover,  discourse  to  him  of  the 
charms  of  Briinnhilde,  and  eagerly  the  hero  un- 
dertakes the  task  of  winning  so  fair  a  bride. 
Nothing  daunted,  he  passes  the  barrier  of  flame, 
wakes  the  maiden  from  the  twenty  years'  sleep, 
which  has  but  added  to  her  beauty,  and  woos 
so  successfully  that  Briinnhilde  no  longer  regrets 
the  forfeited  glories  of  Valhalla. 

Meanwhile,  true  to  his  promise  to  Fricka, 
Wotan  has  unwaveringly  withheld  his  support 
from  the  son  of  Sieglinde.  He  has  even  gone 
so  far  as  to  court  his  own  destruction,  which  he 
believes  to  be  inevitable,  to  seek  an  interview 
with  Alberich,  to  warn  him  that  Mime  is  about 
to  bring  a  powerful  youth  to  slay  the  dragon, 
and  to  suggest  that  the  dwarf  should  outwit  his 

brother  by  bargaining  with  the  dragon  for  the 

288 


THE  NIBELUNGEN   RING 

ring  as  the  price  of  the  giant's  safety ;  for,  were 
the  monster  no  longer  in  possession  of  the  ring, 
Mime  would  have  no  object  in  taking  his  life. 
But  the  dragon,  believing  himself  to  be  invin- 
cible, refuses  the  offer. 

After  Siegfried's  victory  over  Fafner,  Wotan 
intercepts  the  hero  on  his  way  to  Brunnhilde's 
mountain,  but  fails  in  this  last  effort  to  defeat 
the  Walsung  and  so  maintain  his  own  supremacy 
by  preventing  the  valor  of  the  hero  from  union 
with  the  wisdom  which  Erda's  daughter  could 
bestow, — a  combination  to  which  even  the  power 
of  the  gods  must  succumb. 

Momentarily  dismayed,  and  defiant  as  he  is 
in  view  of  his  own  approaching  ruin,  Wotan 
rejoices,  nevertheless,  in  the  final  triumph  of  his 
offspring.  The  god  summons  Erda,  spirit  of 
wisdom,  mother  of  Briinnhilde,  and  bids  her  un- 
ravel for  him  the  mysteries  of  fate.  Unwillingly 
she  responds,  and  chidingly  recalls  his  inconsist- 
ency in  rearing  a  race  to  desert  it ;  in  inciting 
rebellion  to  condemn  it ;  in  breaking  one  pledge 
to  uphold  another.  And  the  power  divided 
against  itself  acquiesces  in  its  inevitable  over- 
throw,— wills  it  with  godlike  approval  of  its 
justice,  and  bids  Erda,  the  all-knowing,  the 

*9  289 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

source  of  fear,  return  to  slumbers  everlasting: 
for  the  scepter  of  the  world  is  in  the  hands  of 
Siegfried  the  fearless. 

In  German  mythology,  the  Gotterddmmerung^ 
or,  as  often  translated,  the  Twilight  of  the  Gods, 
denotes  the  decline  of  the  power  of  the  pagan 
divinities  and  their  final  destruction  as  prophesied 
in  the  Eddas.  In  this  sublime  sense  of  justice, 
which  sentences  to  death  the  gods  themselves 
when  they  have  sinned,  there  is  a  moral  grandeur 
surpassing  that  found  in  the  unreasoning  awe 
with  which  the  ancient  Greek  and  Roman  bowed 
before  superior  power,  whether  good  or  evil,  and 
ascribed  to  it  immortality.  Nor  did  the  Norse- 
man's belief  end  in  death  and  despair  :  he  looked 
forward  to  a  purification  and  resurrection  of  his 
gods,  and  life  everlasting  for  all  worthy  to  survive. 

In  Gotterddmmerungi  the  last  opera  of  the 
Nibelungen  Ring,  although  the  fate  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Valhalla  is  rehearsed  and  foreshadowed 
in  the  opening  song  of  the  Norns,  yet  the  greater 
part  of  the  poem  is  still  concerned  with  the 
fortunes  of  Siegfried  and  Briinnhilde. 

Briinnhilde  joyously  accepts  her  lord.     All 

that  she  has  is  his, — her  steed  Grane,  her  armor, 
290 


THE  NIBELUNGEN   RING 

her  strength,  her  wisdom.  Of  all  that  made  her 
powerful  as  a  Valkyr  she  deprives  herself  for 
his  sake,  until  she  stands  before  him  a  simple, 
defenceless,  loving  woman. 

The  hero  thirsts  for  the  achievement  of  valor- 
ous deeds,  and  Briinnhilde  covets  renown  for 
him.  So  they  part  for  a  time,  Siegfried  first  be- 
stowing upon  his  bride  the  gift  of  the  ring  of 
the  Nibelung. 

In  his  wanderings  in  search  of  adventure  Sieg- 
fried comes  to  the  court  of  Gunther,  a  potentate 
of  the  Rhine.  \  Hagen,  whose  father  was  Albe- 
rich,  the  Nibelung,  and  whose  mother  was  Grim- 
hilde,  also  the  mother  of  Gunther,  had  already 
suggested  that  a  certain  fair  woman  named 
Briinnhilde  would  be  a  fitting  consort  for  his 
royal  half-brother,  and  the  valiant  Siegfued  an 
invaluable  ally  in  capturing  the  almost  unap- 
proachable maiden.  He  had,  moreover,  sug- 
gested that  a  love-philter  might  be  administered 
to  the  hero,  which  would  so  inflame  him  with 
passion  for  Gunther's  sister,  Gutrune  (Chriem- 
hild),  that  any  earlier  love  would  be  blotted 
from  his  memory,  and  he  be  ready  to  undertake 
any  task  for  her  favor. 

On  Siegfried's  arrival  at  the  court,  Gutrune 
291 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

offers  him  the  refreshing,  fateful  draught,  and 
immediately,  oblivious  of  his  obligations  to 
Briinnhilde,  he  consents  to  assume,  with  the  aid 
of  his  Tarxkapft,  the  guise  of  Gunther,  capture 
the  flame-encompassed  bride,  and,  as  his  reward, 
receive  Gutrune  to  wife.  Hagen,  the  wily  son 
of  the  Nibelung,  exults  in  the  prospect  of  luring 
within  reach  the  coveted  magic  ring,  and  his 
father  urges  him  to  zeal  in  pursuit  of  the  treasure. 

Briinnhilde  has  one  more  opportunity  to  repair 
her  fault  of  filial  disobedience.  A  sister  Valkyr 
seeks  her,  describes  Wotan's  waning  powers  and 
wasting  grief,  as,  in  the  halls  of  Valhalla  sur- 
rounded by  his  heroes,  he  awaits  the  return  of 
his  ravens  with  news  that  the  baleful  ring  has 
been  restored  to  its  rightful  guardians,  the 
nymphs  of  the  Rhine.  Not  to  release  her 
father  from  torment  will  Briinnhilde  consent 
that  the  waves  shall  claim  from  her  Siegfried's 
parting  gift.  Yet  soon  it  is  torn  from  the  hand 
of  the  defenceless  woman  by  Siegfried  himself 
in  the  guise  of  Gunther,  to  whom  the  hero 
resigns  the  maiden,  she  not  perceiving  that  she 
has  had  to  do  with  two  persons  rather  than  one. 

After  the  capture  of  the  unwilling  bride,  a 

double   wedding   is   celebrated   on   the   Rhine. 

393 


THE  NIBELUNGEN  RING 

Brlinnhilde  recognizes  in  Gutrune's  husband  her 
own  faithless  lover,  and,  amazed,  sees  upon  his 
hand  the  ring  that  King  Gunther,  as  she  sup- 
posed, had  wrested  from  her  in  token  of  her 
submission  to  him.  The  king  is  questioned, 
and  it  is  apparent  that  he  knows  nothing  of  the 
affair,  nor  has  ever  had  the  ring  in  his  possession. 
Siegfried,  utterly  unconscious  of  former  events, 
is  bewildered  by  Briinnhilde's  distress  at  sight  of 
him  and  her  agonized  confession  that  she  is  the 
rightful  bride  of  him  who  wears  that  ring,  how- 
ever he  be  named.  Siegfried  solemnly  swears 
that  he  has  never  wooed  her.  Brlinnhilde  as 
solemnly  swears  to  the  truth  of  her  accusation, 
and  vehemently  demands  to  be  avenged  by  Sieg- 
fried's death.  Hagen  craftily  fans  the  flame,  so 
that  Gunther,  notwithstanding  Siegfried's  whis- 
per that  the  Tarnkappe  must  have  failed  to  dis- 
guise him  completely  before  Brlinnhilde,  believes 
that  his  mission  has  been  but  treacherously  exe- 
cuted, and  lends  an  all  too  willing  ear  to  his 
half-brother's  plot  to  murder  the  hero. 

With  this  in  view,  a  hunting  party  is  arranged. 
In  pursuit  of  game,  Siegfried  strays  into  a  soli- 
tary place  by  the  river,  and  there  encounters  the 
Rhine  nymphs,  who  beg  for  his  ring,  warning 
293 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

him  of  the  curse  that  rests  upon  it.  Their  very 
warnings  spur  his  courage  to  presumption,  and, 
defying  all  threatening  evil,  he  rejects  this  one 
opportunity  to  escape  his  fate.  Rejoining  his 
comrades,  he  is  treacherously  slain  by  a  thrust 
from  Hagen's  spear  through  the  back.  In  the 
last  moments  of  the  hero's  life,  Hagen  brews 
him  a  drink  which  recalls  the  past  to  his 
memory,  and  his  words  reveal  the  truth  to 
Gimther,  yet  too  late  for  the  king  to  save  his 
friend. 

When  the  body  has  been  borne  back  to  the 
castle,  Hagen  endeavors  to  possess  himself  of 
the  ring.  Gunther,  too,  lays  claim  to  it  in  the 
name  of  his  sister,  Gutrune,  and,  in  the  struggle 
for  it  which  ensues,  is  slain  by  Hagen,  while  the 
hand  of  the  dead  Siegfried,  with  threatening 
gesture,  deters  the  horrified  son  of  the  Nibelung 
from  his  intended  theft.  None  ventures  to  gain- 
say Briinnhilde,  when,  solemnly  asserting  her 
rights  of  wifehood,  she  transfers  the  ring  to  her 
own  finger,  promising  that  the  waters  of  the 
Rhine  shall  loose  it  from  her  hand  when  she 
shall  have  given  herself  to  the  flames  on  Sieg- 
fried's funeral  pyre. 

Through  the  fiery  glow  that  veils  the  horror 
294 


THE  NIBELUNGEN   RING 

of  Briinnhilde's  death,  Hagen  perceives  the 
waters  of  the  Rhine  rolling  nearer  and  the  Rhine 
nymphs  sporting  in  the  waves,  and,  shrieking 
with  dismay,  he  plunges  madly  into  the  flood. 
The  nymphs  wind  their  arms  about  him  and 
drag  him  into  the  depths.  One  white  hand  is 
seen  holding  aloft  the  ring.  Wotan's  ravens 
sweep  across  the  sky,  and  the  flaming  heavens 
proclaim  the  downfall  of  Valhalla,  a  tragedy 
which  mortal  eyes  may  not  behold. 

In  comparing  the  above  sketch  of  the  opera 
text  with  the  version  of  the  Nibelungen  Lied  in 
the  foregoing  pages,  many  contrasts  between  the 
two  works  will  be  apparent.  From  the  Lied  the 
supernatural  is  almost  banished,  and  the  water- 
nymphs,  who  prophesy  to  Hagen  the  destruction 
of  the  Burgundians,  form  nearly  the  only  un- 
disguised link  with  that  world  in  which,  in 
Wagner's  drama,  the  very  springs  of  action  are 
laid.  Of  the  Rhine  gold  and  its  guardian 
nymphs,  of  the  ring  of  magic  potency,  of  the 
dragon  as  the  transformed  giant  Fafner,  of  the 
understanding  of  bird  language,  the  Lied  knows 
nothing ;  its  interests  are  purely  human.  The 
Nibelungen  Ring,  on  the  contrary,  from  beginning 

295 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

to  end,  is  concerned  with  the  fortunes  of  Wotan, 
and  culminates  in  his  tragic  fall,  when  the  god 
is  represented  as  overthrown  by  the  legitimate 
development  of  his  own  superb  but  guilty 
creations.  In  the  Lied,  national  disaster  follows 
upon  the  death  of  Siegfried,  a  tale  of  horror 
untouched  by  Wagner.  The  similarity  of  char- 
acters and  incident  in  these  two  poems  is  only 
that  which  exists  between  works  having  their 
origin  in  different  versions  of  the  same  old 
myths. 

The  tree- trunk  of  German  mythology  has  nu- 
merous branches,  of  which  the  Nibelugen  Lied  is 
but  one;  and  Wagner  has  plucked  fruit  from 
many,  usually  preferring  the  more  ancient.  The 
old  Teutonic  peoples,  when  they  became  distinct 
nations,  severally  and  variously  developed  and 
modified,  or  even  forgot,  traditions  which  had 
once  been  the  common  property  of  all,  so  that 
when  again  the  treasures  of  folklore  are  gath- 
ered from  these  related  nations  they  are  found 
to  ring  many  changes  upon  the  old  themes, 
which,  to  the  poet,  suggest  still  other  combina- 
tions. The  poem  of  the  Nibelungen  Ring  evinces 
intimacy  on  the  part  of  its  author  with  the  Scan- 
dinavian legends  (sagas)  as  well  as  with  the 

296 


THE  NIBELUNGEN   RING 

German  myths;  indeed, the  old  pagan  traditions, 
upon  which  he  has  so  largely  drawn,  are  the 
almost  exclusive  property  of  those  more  north- 
ern nations  where  Christianity  only  later  asserted 
its  supremacy,  and  are  to  be  sought  in  the  Ice- 
landic collections  of  sagas  known  as  the  Elder 
and  Younger  Eddas,  and  in  kindred  works,  rather 
than  in  the  great  German  epic  of  the  Nibelungen 
Lied. 

It  has  been  aptly  suggested  that  the  Eddas 
fairly  illustrate  what  the  Iliad  must  have  been 
before  it  was  reduced  to  unity  and  elaborated  by 
the  great  poet  whom  we  know  as  Homer.  Much 
of  the  material  preserved  to  us  in  the  Eddas  was 
given  its  first  connected  form  in  the  prose  ver- 
sion called  the  Volsunga  Saga.  A  further  elabo- 
ration by  a  German  Homer  has  given  us  the 
Nibelungen  Lied.  The  discrepancies  in  the  Ni- 
belungen  Ring,  as  compared  with  these  sources  of 
its  material,  much  as  they  tend  to  confuse  the 
novice  in  these  studies,  deserve  to  be  set  down 
as  deliberately  chosen  for  some  dramatic  advan- 
tage, and  usually  upon  some  legendary  authority. 

An  outline  of  the  Volsunga  Saga  will  be  given 
as  an  Appendix  to  this  volume,  to  which  occa- 
sional reference  will  be  made  in  the  following 

297 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

brief  comparison  of  the  Wagnerian  drama  with 
the  old  legends.  Although  this  saga  is  the 
principal  source  of  Wagner's  material,  yet  some 
parts  of  the  Nibelungen  Ring  cannot  be  said  to 
correspond  to  any  one  saga,  but  only  to  be  in 
general  conformity  to  the  general  spirit  of  the 
myths.  Of  this  we  have  an  instance  in  the 
opening  scene  of  the  introductory  opera,  which 
represents  the  Rhine  as  the  source  of  the  gold 
found  later  in  the  possession  of  Alberich,  who 
forswore  love  to  obtain  it.  Now,  although  in 
the  fragments  of  Teutonic  folklore  which  have 
been  rescued  from  oblivion  there  is  no  record 
of  the  Nibelung  treasure  having  been  derived 
from  the  Rhine,  unless  a  single  line  of  the  Elder 
Edda1  may  be  so  construed,  yet  all  nations  have 
peopled  their  waters  with  nymphs  and  sung  of 
treasures  in  their  rivers  and  seas.  Gold,  or  the 
love  of  it,  was  early  regarded  in  the  sagas,  as 
elsewhere,  as  the  root  of  all  evil,  and  instances 
are  numerous  to  illustrate  that  its  baleful  power 
is  best  developed,  its  acquisition  best  accom- 
plished by  him  who  gives  his  undivided  soul  to 
the  service  of  Mammon. 

1  Volundarkvidha,  1 5. 
298 


THE  NIBELUNGEN   RING 

The  Nibelung  hoard,  originating  in  the  Rhine 
or  elsewhere,  always  includes  a  ring,  sometimes 
of  magic  properties.  In  the  Wagnerian  drama, 
this  ring  has  been  raised  to  a  position  of  much 
greater  prominence  than  it  occupies  in  the  sagas. 
It  forms  a  connecting  link  for  the  four  operas, 
throughout  which  the  Nibelungs,  or  powers  of 
darkness,  are  contending  with  the  children  of 
light,  who  have  exposed  themselves  to  this  dan- 
ger by  their  desire  for  undue  power  and  wealth ; 
that  is,  for  attributes  and  possessions  unsuited  to 
their  nature,  and  which,  therefore,  if  acquired, 
must  work  their  ruin.  Potentially  this  ring 
exists  in  the  innocent  depths  of  the  Rhine. 
Alberich's  selfishness  gives  it  form  and  burdens 
it  with  a  curse.  It  passes  through  Wotan's 
hands,  revealing  his  inordinate  thirst  for  power 
and  his  unscrupulous  use  of  means  to  extend 
his  dominion.  The  touchstone  of  the  ring  also 
brings  to  light  the  brutality  of  the  giants.  In 
the  hands  of  the  lovers  it  develops  the  evils  to 
which  filial  disobedience,  gross  ambition,  deceit, 
and  distrust  can  give  rise.  Purified  at  last  by 
the  triumph  of  love,  which  was  forsworn  to 
create  it,  over  death,  which  its  baleful  power  had 

decreed,  it  returns  through  the  fires  of  human 
299 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

sacrifice  from  the  funeral  pyre  of  Siegfried  and 
Briinnhilde  to  the  Rhine,  whence  it  was  con- 
jured. 

To  the  building  of  Valhalla,  as  related  in  the 
opera,  there  is  no  perfectly  corresponding  account 
in  the  sagasc  In  the  Younger  Edda^  however, 
we  read  that  Freia  and  the  sun  and  the  moon 
were,  by  Loki's  advice,  promised  to  a  giant  in 
payment  for  building  a  wall  of  defence  around 
Asgard,2  and  that  the  contract  was  afterwards 
broken  with  results  disastrous  to  the  gods. 
According  to  the  Volsunga  Saga*  the  ring  taken 
from  the  dwarf  was  not  given  by  the  gods 
for  the  building  of  Valhalla,  but  as  compensa- 
tion for  the  murder  of  a  giant ;  yet  in  both 
myth  and  opera  the  transfer  of  this  ring  from 
the  possession  of  Wotan  to  that  of  Fafner  is  as 
ransom  for  the  gods  who  have  foolishly  forfeited 

1  Gylfaginning,  42. 

2  Asgard  was  the  region  where  the  gods  made  their 
home  and  in  which  the  castle  Valhalla  was  built.     It 
was  located  above  Midgard,  the  abode  of  mankind, 
and    Utgard,    where    the    giants    lived.      The    tree 
Ygdrasil  connected  the  three  worlds.      (See  note  1, 
p.  100.) 

8  See  Appendix,  p.  314. 
300 


THE  NIBELUNGEN   RING 

their  liberty  to  the  giants.  The  careless,  aim- 
less slaying  of  Hreidmar's  son  in  the  guise  of 
an  otter,  in  the  Volsunga  Saga,  is  an  incident  less 
imposing,  a  fault  less  godlike,  than  the  ambitious 
rearing  of  Wo  tan's  towers  of  defence  in  the 
drama.  Herein  lies  the  probable  motive  for  the 
substitution. 

The  various  gods,  giants,  and  dwarfs  appear- 
ing in  the  operas  may  be  found  described  in  the 
Elder  and  Younger  Eddas,  and  with  characteris- 
tics similar  to  those  indicated  by  Wagner,  and 
in  most  cases  identical  with  them.  In  Wotan, 
superior  to  the  powers  of  nature,  yet  bound  by 
the  decrees  of  fate,  thirsting  for  power,  wisdom, 
and  wealth,  and  rashly  offering  any  price  to 
obtain  these  in  excess,  we  recognize  the  Odin 
of  the  Norsemen.  In  the  operas,  as  in  the 
Eddas,  he  wanders  in  disguise  among  dwarfs, 
giants,  men,  and  in  solitary  places,  his  all-power- 
ful sword  and  spear  flashing  through  the  web  of 
human  destinies ;  and,  as  in  the  ancient  songs, 
he  holds  his  revels  in  Valhalla,  among  the  heroes 
culled  from  battlefields,  and  sends  his  ravens  out 
to  bring  him  tidings  of  the  doings  of  men. 

The  character  of  Fricka  is  sketched,  perhaps, 
less  in  accordance  with  previous  conceptions. 
301 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

Her  jealousy,  her  readiness  to  impute  unworthy 
and  even  petty  motives  to  Wotan,  displays  the 
god  in  a  light  which  the  Frigg  of  mythology 
does  not  cast  upon  him.  The  sacredness  of 
conjugal  love,  which  it  was  the  province  of  this 
goddess  to  uphold,  has  in  the  sagas  a  protectress 
of  somewhat  greater  delicacy  and  dignity. 

The  charming  Freia,  goddess  of  love  pure 
and  simple,  with  or  without  its  golden  fetters,  is 
lightly  touched  and  retains  her  grace.  She  is 
represented  as  the  guardian  of  the  fruit  which 
preserves  the  youth  of  the  gods,  an  office  usually 
ascribed  to  Iduna.  The  Tounger  Edda l  also 
relates  the  capture  of  Iduna  by  the  giants  and 
the  distress  of  the  gods  while  temporarily 
deprived  of  her  golden  apples. 

Of  Loge's  (Loki)  attractive  presence,  his 
ready  wit  and  fertility  of  resources,  which  made 
him  a  favorite  companion  and  counsellor  of  the 
gods,  we  have  confirmation  in  the  oldest  legends. 

Froh2  (Freyr)  was  the  god  of  sunshine  and 


1  Gylfaginning,  27,  and  Bragarodur,  56. 

2  Froh  and  Donner  appear  in  Rheingold  with  the 
other  divinities  here  named,  though  not  mentioned  in 
the  argument  (pp.  278-280). 

302 


THE  NIBELUNGEN   RING 

peace,  the  brother  of  Freia,  and  so  her  natural 
protector ;  and  with  him  Wagner  has  appropri- 
ately associated  a  god  of  more  bellicose  charac- 
ter, the  terrible  Donner  (Thor),  whose  teeth 
flash  fire,  whose  hand  hurls  the  thunderbolt, 
before  whom  giants  are  wont  to  cringe.  Also 
in  the  Elder  Edda?  Thor  is  represented  as  inter- 
posing in  behalf  of  Freia  when  the  goddess  has 
fallen  into  the  power  of  the  giants. 

Erda,  who  warns  Wotan  of  the  peril  in  which 
the  gods  stand,  and  whom  Wagner  entitles 
mother  of  Briinnhilde,  Wotan's  daughter,  bears 
in  the  old  sagas  various  names,  as  is  so  often  the 
case  with  the  Teutonic  divinities,  according  as 
one  or  another  of  the  multifarious  sides  of  their 
characters  is  prominent.  She  is  the  mother  of 
all  beings  and  things,  and  to  her  must  all  like- 
wise return ;  hence,  while  the  goddess  of  life, 
she  is  also  the  goddess  of  death.  The  oldest  of 
her  names  is  Hel  (Helle),  but  under  this  title 
she  is  found  only  in  the  subterranean  world. 
Otherwise  she  is  known  as  Jordh,  the  spouse  of 
Odin,  merged  then  in  Frigg  (Fricka),  or,  in  her 
still  more  cheerful  and  youthful  aspects,  in  Freya. 


1  Voluspa,  29,  SO. 
303 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

Many  other  names  are  applied  to  her  under  dif- 
ferent conditions.  In  the  Elder  Edda*  we  read 
how  Odin  sought  the  goddess  Hel,  how  unwill- 
ingly she  responded,  as,  with  conjuring  song,  he 
woke  her  from  her  slumbers,  and  questioned  her 
of  mysteries  known  only  to  her,  as  the  all-wise 
prophetess  "  Wala."  Some  passages  here  almost 
exactly  correspond  with  Wotan's  interview  with 
Erda  in  the  opera  Siegfried. 

The  three  Norns,  the  goddesses  of  fate,  who 
weave  the  wide-spreading  web  of  destiny,  human 
and  divine ;  the  tree  of  life,  by  which  they  dwelt ; 
the  spring  of  wisdom,  for  a  draught  from  which 
Wotan  gave  one  of  his  eyes ;  the  spear  of  the 
god  inscribed  with  runes ;  the  prophecy  of  the 
fatal  catastrophe  which  should  finally  overtake 
the  divinities ;  all,  as  used  by  Wagner  in  the 
prelude  to  the  Gotterddmmerung,  are  found 
also  in  both  the  Elder  and  Tounger  Eddas. 

Fafner  appears  in  the  Volsunga  Saga  as  Fafnir, 
one  of  a  trio  of  giants,  and  is  represented  by 
Wagner,  as  we  always  find  him,  the  greedy 
guardian  of  the  hoard.  Fasolt  is  taken  from 
another  trio  of  giant  brothers,  Fasolt,  Ecke,  and 

1  Vegtamskvidha. 
304 


THE   NIBELUNGEN   RING 

Ebenrot,  who  appear  in  the  Eckenlied  and  other 
German  myths.  Mime,  the  early  guardian  of 
Siegfried,  corresponds,  to  a  certain  extent,  to  the 
covetous,  treacherous,  vindictive  Reigin  of  the 
Volsunga  Saga,  inferior  in  stature  to  his  brothers; 
although  Mime  is  represented  as  the  brother  of 
the  dwarf  Alberich,  not  of  the  giant  Fafner. 

The  Tarnkappe  of  the  Nibelungen  Lied,  there 
wrested  from  Alberich,  the  guardian  of  the 
hoard,  appears  in  the  opera  as  the  handiwork  of 
Mime.  In  the  Norse  legends  this  hiding-cap 
does  not  exist,  although  dwarfs  are  there  reputed 
to  be  skilful  smiths  and  capable  of  forging 
articles  possessing  magic  properties.  Odin's 
wealth-producing  ring,  Draupnir,  was  of  dwarf 
workmanship. 

The  ancestry  of  Siegfried,  though  in  all  the 
Northern  legends  traceable  to  Odin,  is  yet  more 
immediately  so  in  the  Wagnerian  poem  than  in 
the  sagas.  In  the  operas,  Walse,  the  father  of 
Siegmund  and  Sieglinde  (Signi),  is  none  other 
than  the  god  himself,  whereas  in  the  saga,  Vol- 
sung  (Walse)  is  only  a  powerful  king — of 
miraculous  birth  it  is  true,  and  a  descendant  of 
Odin.  The  character  of  Siegfried  itself  is 
another  instance  of  condensation,  it  being  a 
305 


TEUTONIC   LEGENDS 

combination  of  the  two  sons  of  Sigmund 
(Siegmund) — Sinfiotli,  who  was  the  son  of 
Signi,  and  was  reared  in  the  solitudes  of  the 
forest,  and  Sigurd,  who  slew  the  dragon,  won 
Brynhild  (Briinnhilde)  for  himself  and  then  for 
another,  and  was  treacherously  slain  by  his  wife's 
relatives.  His  early  unruly  youth  and  appren- 
ticeship to  the  smith  is  described  in  conformity 
with  the  German  lay,  Vom  Hurnen  Seyfrid,  and 
in  the  Thidreks  Saga1  we  read  that  he  was  a 
foundling,  picked  up  in  the  woods  and  reared  by 
Smith  Mimir. 

In  the  Walk-tire^  Hunding,  the  husband  of 
Sieglinde,  corresponds  to  the  Gothic  king,  Sig- 
geir,  of  the  Volsunga  Saga,  while,  in  the  Elder 
Edda 2  and  also  in  the  saga,  we  read  of  Hund- 
ing as  a  king  who  met  his  death  at  the  hands 
of  Sigmund's  son  Helgi.  The  Saga  relates  that 
Signi's  husband  sought  the  life  of  Sigmund,  but 
not,  as  in  the  Walkure,  successfully ;  for  in 
the  legend  Sigmund  lives  to  be  slain  in  his  old 

1  The   Thidreks  Saga    (Legend  of   Dietrich)    was 
told  by  Germans  in  Iceland  and  recorded  in  the  Ice- 
landic language  about  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth 
century. 

2  Helgakvidha  Hundingsbana  fyrri. 

306 


THE  NIBELUNGEN  RING 

age  by  Lingvi,  his  rival  in  the  suit  for  the  hand 
of  Hiordys ;  and,  for  his  overthrow,  Odin  him- 
self, as  in  the  opera,  lends  the  aid  of  his  invinci- 
ble spear.  In  both  versions  we  see  how,  at  the 
close  of  Sigmund's  life,  Odin  withdrew  from 
him  his  favor ;  but  in  the  Saga  there  is  no  sug- 
gestion that  Sigmund's  foe  owed  his  victory  to 
Frigg's  (Fricka)  championship.  That  feature 
of  the  drama  may  have  been  borrowed  from  a 
song  of  the  Elder  Edda?  where  Odin  and  Frigg 
agree  to  apply  a  certain  test  to  two  heroes,  and 
each  lays  a  wager  upon  his  or  her  favorite. 
Odin  loses,  and  transfers  his  favor  to  a  younger 
hero,  of  whom  Frigg's  protege  may  be  regarded 
as  the  prototype,  the  two  bearing  also  the 
same  name,  Agnar.  Now,  Odin  and  Frigg 
interest  themselves  for  the  same  hero,  Agnar, 
who,  in  other  legends,2  is  protected  by  Brynhild 
to  the  point  of  disobedience  to  the  express 
command  of  Odin. 

Wagner  makes  Brunnhilde  the  daughter  of 
Wotan,  while  the  sagas  call   King   Budli   her 


1  Grimnismal. 

2  Sigrdrifumal    and    Helreidh    Brynhildar    of   the 
Elder  Edda,  and  the  Volsunga  Saga  (see  p.  317). 

307 


TEUTONIC  LEGENDS 

father.  In  this  there  is  no  real  inconsistency, 
since  the  daughters  of  kings  might  become 
Valkyrs,  and  were  then  called  adoptive  daugh- 
ters of  Odin. 

Wagner  omits  the  quarrel  of  the  queens,  so 
prominent  in  the  Lied  and  the  Volsunga  Saga, 
allowing  the  presence  of  the  ring  on  Siegfried's 
finger  to  excite  Brunnhilde's  suspicions  of  the 
identity  of  the  man  to  whom  she  had  with  it 
pledged  her  troth.  Him  who  possessed  that 
token  she  regarded  as  her  rightful  lord,  and — 
unable  to  remain  true  to  him  in  life — in  anger, 
shame,  and  love  she  decreed  death  for  them 
both. 

The  character  and  parentage  of  Hagen,  the 
perpetrator  of  Sigfried's  murder,  is  described  in 
the  drama  in  accordance  with  the  Thidreks  Saga. 

We  thus  see  that  the  Nibelungen  Ring  coin- 
cides in  its  general  spirit,  and  in  innumerable 
details,  with  the  old  Norse  and  German  myths. 
These  are  chiefly  fragmentary  songs,  composed 
by  various  bards,  which  the  modern  poet,  Richard 
Wagner,  has  woven  into  a  single,  consistent 
work  of  art,  mirrored  and  rendered  with  inten- 
sified charm  in  the  music  which  should  be  its 
inseparable  accompaniment. 
308 


APPENDIX 

OUTLINE   OF  THE  VOLSUNGA   SAGA 

THE  Volsunga  Saga  was  probably  of  Nor- 
wegian origin,  though  early  lost  to  that 
country  and  preserved  in  Icelandic  literature. 
This  legend  relates  that  Sigi  was  supposed  to 
be  the  son  of  Odin,  and  that  he  was  king  of  the 
Huns  and  father  of  Rerir,  who  later  inherited  his 
kingdom.  Rerir  was  long  without  an  heir,  and 
the  birth  of  his  posthumous  son  Volsung  was  due 
to  a  miracle  graciously  vouchsafed  by  Odin  in 
response  to  the  prayers  of  the  parents.  Volsung 
early  succeeded  to  his  father's  crown  and  became 
a  powerful  monarch.  He  took  to  wife  a  Valkyr, 
the  same  who  had  brought  to  his  father  Odin's 
decree  for  his  birth;  and  she  bore  to  him  ten 
sons  and  a  daughter.  Sigmund,  the  oldest  son, 
and  his  sister  Sign!  were  twins,  and  the  fairest 
of  all  the  children  of  Volsung;  yet  were  all  the 
sons  powerful  heroes. 

Signr  was  given  by  her  father  in  marriage  to 
Siggeir,   King   of  the   Goths.      At   the   wedding 
feast  a  stranger  appeared  and  thrust  his  sword 
309 


APPENDIX 

into  the  trunk  of  a  tree,  declaring  that  whoso 
should  be  able  to  remove  it  might  claim  the  weapon 
for  his  own,  and  would  perceive  that  he  had  never 
wielded  a  better.  All  present  vainly  essayed  the 
task,  until  Sigmund,  with  apparent  ease,  accom- 
plished it.  Siggeir,  coveting  so  rare  a  weapon, 
offered  for  it  its  weight  in  gold;  but  Sigmund 
answered  that,  had  the  King  of  the  Goths  been 
worthy  to  bear  it,  he  would  have  been  able  to  wrest 
it  from  the  tree;  that  now  no  gold  would  buy  it 
from  its  rightful  owner.  Though  angered  by  this 
reply,  Siggeir  concealed  his  rage,  hastened  his  re- 
turn home,  taking  with  him  his  unwilling  bride, 
and  later  plotted  his  revenge.  He  succeeded  in 
treacherously  murdering  King  Volsung  and  all 
his  sons,  with  the  exception  of  Sigmund,  who  was 
saved  by  a  device  of  his  sister,  yet  was  believed 
by  Siggeir  to  have  been  slain  with  his  brothers. 

Sigmund  built  for  himself  a  hut  in  the  woods, 
whither  he  had  been  enticed  to  meet  his  death,  and 
lived  hidden  there,  Signi  ever  seeking  to  aid  him 
to  avenge  their  father's  death.  She  even  sacri- 
ficed her  own  two  sons  to  this  object.  She  sent 
them  to  Sigmund,  that  he  might  use  them  to  fur- 
ther his  purposes  of  revenge;  but  they  proved 
of  too  inferior  spirit,  and,  upon  her  advice,  he 
slew  them.  This  experience  proved  to  her  that 

only  a  full-blooded  Volsung,  one  who  from  both 
310 


APPENDIX 

father  and  mother  inherited  godlike  attributes, 
could  effectually  aid  in  the  accomplishment  of  the 
desperate  design.  Changing  shapes  with  a  sor- 
ceress, she  fled  in  this  guise  to  her  brother's  hut, 
and  remained  with  him  three  days  and  nights,  he 
thinking  only  that  he  had  harbored  a  beautiful 
woman  who  had  lost  her  way  in  the  forest;  and 
Siggeir,  deceived  by  the  presence  of  the  sorceress, 
was  unaware  of  the  absence  of  his  wife. 

In  due  time  Signi  gave  birth  to  a  son,  Sinfiotli, 
who  rapidly  developed  all  the  heroic  traits  of  the 
Volsungs.  At  ten  years  of  age  she  sent  him  to 
Sigmund,  not  yet  revealing  his  parentage.  He 
proved  an  apt  pupil.  Father  and  son  roamed  the 
forest  together,  led  a  life  of  hardship,  and,  for 
a  time,  prowled  about  in  the  form  of  wolves,  par- 
taking, too,  of  the  savage  nature  of  these  beasts. 
When  Sigmund  had  well  proven  Sinfiotli  and  found 
him  ripe  for  the  deed,  he  made  use  of  his  assistance 
in  destroying  King  Siggeir  and  his  palace  by  fire. 
Provision  was  made  for  Signi's  safety,  but  she 
welcomed  death,  and  openly  confessing  the  means 
she  had  used  to  rear  an  avenger  of  her  father's 
death,  she  voluntarily  shared  the  fate  of  her  wedded 
lord. 

Sigmund,  with  his  son,  returned  to  his  own  king- 
dom, and  there  married  a  wife,  Borghild.  She 
bore  him  a  son,  Helgi,  who  was  a  great  hero  and 
3" 


APPENDIX 

killed  in  battle  a  powerful  king  named  Hunding. 
Sinfiotli,  in  a  quarrel,  killed  the  brother  of  Borg- 
hild,  and,  in  return,  received  a  death  potion  from 
her  hands.  Soon  after,  the  queen  herself  died. 

In  his  old  age  Sigmund  took  another  wife, 
Hiordys,  daughter  of  King  Eylimi.  King  Lingvi 
was  also  a  suitor  for  the  hand  of  this  princess, 
and,  having  failed  in  his  suit,  invaded  the  kingdom 
of  his  successful  rival,  challenging  him  to  battle. 
In  this  conflict,  fortune  seemed  to  favor  Sigmund, 
until  there  appeared  a  one-eyed  stranger,  clad  in 
a  blue  mantle,  wearing  a  large  hat,  who  opposed 
his  spear  to  the  sword  of  the  Hunnish  king;  and 
the  sword  broke  upon  the  spear.  From  this  moment 
victory  smiled  upon  King  Lingvi. 

Hiordys  sought  her  mortally  wounded  lord  upon 
the  deserted  battlefield,  and  he  consoled  her  for  his 
loss  by  assuring  her  that  the  son  whom  she  should 
bear  would  be  the  most  famous  of  his  race.  He 
cautioned  her  to  rear  this  child  with  care,  and  to 
treasure  the  fragments  of  the  father's  sword,  from 
which  a  good  weapon,  Gram,  would  some  day  be 
forged  for  the  son,  with  which  he  would  accomplish 
great  deeds.  Hiordys  took  refuge  at  the  court  of 
Halfrek,  King  of  Danemark,  and  there  gave  birth 
to  Sigurd,  son  of  Sigmund.  Later  she  became  the 
wife  of  the  king. 

Sigurd  developed  an  amiable  character,  and  was 
312 


APPENDIX 

tenderly  reared  by  his  step-father.  Nevertheless, 
the  smith  Reigin,  to  whose  special  care  he  was  con- 
fided, sought  to  inspire  him  with  discontent  with 
his  position  and  possessions,  and  to  induce  him  to 
seek  to  acquire  for  himself  a  great  hoard  of  gold, 
said  to  lie  concealed  in  the  forest  under  the  pro- 
tection of  a  hideous  dragon.  Sigurd  seemed  to 
suspect  some  other  motive  than  those  expressed, 
and  asked  Reigin  to  explain  why  he  should  urge 
a  mere  child  to  such  deeds.  In  reply,  Reigin  said 
that  he  would  tell  him  a  story.  And  then  he  related 
how  once  he  had  lived  with  his  father  Hreidmar, 
a  rich  and  powerful  man,  and  his  two  brothers, 
Fafnir  and  Otur,  both  greater  in  stature  than  he. 
Otur  liked  to  take  the  form  of  an  otter,  catch  fish 
in  the  streams,  and  bring  them  to  his  father,  who 
found  such  game  especially  strengthening  food. 
There  was  also  a  dwarf,  Andvari,  who  used  often, 
in  the  guise  of  a  pike,  to  play  in  the  same  waters 
frequented  by  Otur.  One  day  the  gods,  Odin, 
Loki,  and  Hanir,  came  in  their  wanderings  to  this 
waterfall,  and  Loki  cast  a  stone  at  an  otter  he  saw 
there,  and  killed  it.  The  gods  took  the  skin  from 
their  game,  and  when  in  the  evening  they  came  to 
Hreidmar's  dwelling  they  showed  him  what  they 
had  captured.  He  perceived  that  they  had  killed 
Otur,  and,  with  his  son's  aid,  held  the  gods  pris- 
oners, demanding  that  for  their  ransom  they  should 


APPENDIX 

fill  and  then  cover  the  otter  skin  with  gold.  Loki, 
sent  to  procure  the  gold,  went  to  Andvari's  water- 
fall, and  with  a  net  captured  the  pike,  whose  form 
the  dwarf  had  assumed,  and  forced  Andvari  to 
give  up  all  his  wealth,  even  to  a  ring,  which  he 
yielded  with  especial  reluctance.  Then  the  dwarf 
laid  a  curse  upon  gold  and  ring,  and  swore  that 
it  should  henceforth  bring  misery  and  death  upon 
its  possessor.  To  fulfil  their  contract  with  Hreid- 
mar,  the  gods  were  obliged  to  give  all  the  gold 
brought  by  Loki;  and  even  the  ring,  which  Odin 
would  gladly  have  retained,  was  needed  to  cover 
the  last  hair  of  the  otter  skin.  Then  Reigin  re- 
lated how  Fafnir  had  slain  his  father  to  obtain 
possession  of  this  wealth,  and  had  refused  to  share 
it  with  his  brother,  but  had  carried  it  off  to  the 
forest,  and,  taking  the  form  of  a  monstrous  dragon, 
had  stretched  himself  upon  his  hoard.  Reigin, 
however,  being  skilled  at  the  forge,  took  service 
as  a  smith  with  King  Halfrek. 

Sigurd  listened  with  interest,  and  promised  that 
he  would  try  to  slay  the  dragon,  if  Reigin  would 
forge  him  a  sword  fit  for  the  purpose.  Twice  the 
smith  attempted  this,  but  each  time  the  blade  broke 
like  a  toy  in  the  hands  of  the  youthful  hero,  who 
finally  accused  the  man  of  treacherous  dealing. 
Then  he  entreated  his  mother,  and  obtained  from 
her  the  fragments  of  Sigmund's  sword,  Gram,  from 


APPENDIX 

which  Reigin  succeeded  in  forging  a  faultless 
weapon. 

About  this  time  Sigurd  paid  a  visit  to  Gripir, 
his  mother's  brother,  a  man  able  to  foresee  the 
future,  and  inquired  concerning  the  fate  destined 
for  him.  His  uncle  revealed  it,  though  with  re- 
luctance, and  foretold  the  events  of  the  hero's  life 
exactly  as  they  afterwards  came  to  pass. 

Reigin  now  urged  the  conquest  of  the  dragon, 
yet  before  attempting  this  feat,  Sigurd  insisted 
upon  avenging  his  father's  death  by  slaying  his 
enemies.  That  accomplished,  he  accompanied  Rei- 
gin to  the  place  where  Fafnir  guarded  his  treas- 
ure. Across  the  path  which  the  dragon  must  take 
in  going  to  water,  his  assailant  dug  a  ditch,  in 
which  he  could  stand  and  stab  the  beast  from  be- 
low. After  the  death  blow  had  been  dealt,  Fafnir, 
expressed  his  amazement  that  any  should  be  bold 
enough  to  attack  so  formidable  a  monster  as  him- 
self, made  still  more  terrifying  by  his  JEgis-helm 
(a  magic  helmet  which  made  its  wearer  an  object 
of  especial  fear).  He  warned  Sigurd,  too,  that 
he  must  pay  the  penalty  of  death,  should  he  take 
possession  of  the  gold,  and  that  Reigin  was  his 
foe. 

When  the  dragon  was  dead,  Reigin  came  forward 
to  share  in  the  glory  of  the  conquest,  he  having 
forged  the  sword,  Gram,  and  having  led  Sigurd 


APPENDIX 

hither.  Sigurd  was  disinclined  to  admit  his  claim. 
He  consented  to  cut  out  the  heart  of  the  dragon 
and  bake  it  for  the  smith,  and,  as  he  was  thus 
busied,  he  accidentally  tasted  the  blood  of  the 
beast.  Immediately  the  song  of  the  birds  about 
him  became  freighted  with  meaning  to  his  ear. 
One  bird  advised  him  to  eat  the  heart  himself,  that 
he  might  become  the  wisest  of  men ;  another  warned 
him  that  Reigin  was  cherishing  a  treacherous  plot 
against  him;  a  third  suggested  that  he  should 
kill  the  smith  and  take  possession  of  the  gold;  a 
fourth  said  that  it  would  be  well  for  him,  after 
killing  the  smith  and  securing  the  gold,  to  ride 
at  once  to  Hindar  mountain,  where  Brynhild  slept, 
and  from  her  learn  wisdom;  and  the  song  of  the 
other  birds  was  of  the  same  import. 

Sigurd  followed  their  advice;  killed  the  smith, 
ate  of  the  heart  of  the  monster,  secured  for  himself 
the  gold,  also  a  sword  called  Hrotti,  the  ^Egis- 
helm,  and  other  treasures  possessed  by  Fafnir,  and 
rode  away  on  his  steed  Grani,  the  gift  of  King 
Halfrek. 

He  sought  the  Hindar  mount,  which  lay  near 
Frankenland.  On  the  mountain  there  was  a  great 
light,  as  of  a  fire  burning,  and  he  found  there  a 
fortress  built  of  shields.  Entering,  he  beheld  a 
sleeping  figure,  reclining  in  full  armor.  He 
thought  it  that  of  a  man,  but  removing  the  hel- 
316 


APPENDIX 

met,  discovered  a  wondrously  fair  woman,  whose 
cuirass  he  hastened  to  loosen  with  his  sword. 
Awaking  from  sleep,  Brynhild  recognized  in  her 
deliverer,  Sigurd,  the  Volsung.  She  told  him  how 
Odin  had  sent  upon  her  this  sleep ;  had  denied 
to  her  glorious  feats  of  arms;  and  had  sentenced 
her  to  wed  a  mortal,  because,  in  a  conflict  between 
two  kings,  Hialmgunnar  and  Agnar,  she  had  slain 
the  former,  for  whom  Odin  had  designed  victory. 
And  she  told  Sigurd  how  she  had  vowed  to  marry 
only  one  incapable  of  fear.  The  hero  besought 
her  to  instruct  him,  and  she  so  impressed  him  with 
her  wisdom,  that  he  pledged  her  his  troth,  which 
she  accepted.  Thereupon  he  rode  away.  Later 
they  again  met  and  renewed  their  mutual  pledges, 
he  bestowing  upon  her  the  ring  of  Andvari. 

On  the  upper  Rhine  there  lived  a  king  named 
Giuki,  with  his  spouse,  Grimhild,  their  three  sons, 
Gunnar,  Hogni,  and  Guttorm,  and  their  beautiful 
daughter,  Gudrun.  To  this  court  came  Sigurd, 
a  welcome  guest.  Grimhild  was  desirous  that  he 
should  wed  her  daughter,  and  administered  to  him 
a  magic  potion,  which  caused  him  to  forget  Bryn- 
hild, so  that  when  Gunnar  offered  him  Gudrun  in 
marriage,  he  readily  accepted  her,  and  swore  blood 
brotherhood  with  the  older  brothers. 

And  now  Grimhild's  ambition  was  to  marry  her 
son  Gunnar  with  Brynhild,  daughter  of  the  power- 


APPENDIX 

ful  king,  Budli,  and  sister  of  the  warlike  Atli. 
Budli  favored  the  wooing,  only  warned  the  suitor 
that  his  daughter  would  marry  no  man  who  had 
not  courage  to  ride  through  the  barrier  of  flame 
with  which  she  had  induced  Odin  to  surround  her 
castle.  To  do  this,  Gunnar  made  two  futile  at- 
tempts. Then  Sigurd  changed  shapes  with  him, 
and,  in  Gunnar's  name,  claimed  as  his  reward  the 
hand  of  the  unwilling  bride.  Her  first  lover  being 
absent  beyond  recall,  and  her  father  desirous  of 
alliance  with  the  powerful  family  of  Giuki,  who 
threatened  war  in  case  Brynhild  should  be  refused 
them,  the  defenceless  woman  was  forced  to  accept 
her  insistent  suitor,  whose  apparent  bravery  half 
reconciled  her  to  the  necessity.  Sigurd,  then, 
having  in  the  guise  of  Gunnar  received  Brynhild's 
plighted  word,  and,  as  its  token,  the  ring  of  And- 
vari,  returned  to  his  friend,  whose  nuptials  with 
the  bride  thus  won  were  celebrated  shortly  after. 

Brynhild  and  Gudrun  were  apparently  on 
friendly  terms  after  the  marriage,  nor  were  they 
newly  acquainted,  for  Brynhild,  in  the  days  of  her 
wisdom  as  Valkyr,  had  prophesied  to  Gudrun  all 
that  should  later  befall  her.  Some  time  after  the 
wedding,  the  two  women  went  bathing  together,  on 
which  occasion  Brynhild  claimed  precedence  of 
Gudrun  on  account  of  her  husband's  superiority 
to  Sigurd.  Gudrun,  angered,  retorted  that  it 


APPENDIX 

little  became  Brynhild  to  malign  a  man  to  whom 
she  had  given  a  token  of  acceptance  as  her  lover; 
and,  in  proof  of  her  accusation,  produced  the  fate- 
ful ring  of  Andvari,  which  she  had  obtained  from 
her  husband.  Brynhild,  recognizing  the  ring,  was 
silenced,  realizing  that  it  must  indeed  have  been 
Sigurd  who  broke  through  the  flames  and  won  her 
for  Gunnar. 

Seven  days  Brynhild  spoke  never  a  word,  and 
lent  a  deaf  ear  to  the  entreaties  of  her  friends, 
who  sought  to  know  the  cause  of  her  distress. 
Finally,  in  an  interview  with  Sigurd,  she  admitted 
her  grief  and  chagrin  in  having  failed  to  obtain 
in  her  husband  the  most  fearless  and  powerful  man 
in  the  world,  in  having  sacrificed  to  this  ambition 
the  rich  and  matchless  hero  whom  she  sincerely 
loved,  and  in  having  been  betrayed  into  accepting 
one  man  as  her  husband  and  wedding  another. 
She  charged  Sigurd  with  having  brought  this  pain 
and  disgrace  upon  her,  and  declared  that  only  his 
blood  could  atone  for  such  treachery.  He  affirmed 
his  unalterable  love  for  her;  said  that,  for  some 
inexplicable  reason,  he  had  not  recognized  her  at 
the  time  of  his  wooing  for  Gunnar,  and  offered  to 
put  away  Gudrun  for  her  sake. 

Brynhild  remained  implacable.  She  besought 
Gunnar  to  avenge  her  by  the  death  of  the  faithless 
Sigurd,  and  the  king,  coveting  the  great  wealth 


APPENDIX 

of  his  guest,  easily  persuaded  himself  that  the  hero 
had  not  honorably  wooed  Brynhild  for  him.  De- 
barred by  his  blood  brotherhood  from  perpetrating 
the  deed  himself,  he  administered  to  his  younger 
brother,  Guttorm,  a  potion  which  made  the  youth 
savage  and  suspicious,  a  docile  instrument  for  the 
work  of  evil.  In  the  early  morning,  while  Sigurd 
slept,  Guttorm  entered  his  room  and  dealt  the  hero 
a  mortal  blow  with  the  sword.  The  wounded  man 
hurled  the  blade  Gram  at  the  assassin,  and  clove 
his  body  in  twain. 

Brynhild  received  these  tidings  with  a  bitter 
laugh.  She  acknowledged  herself  avenged,  but 
reproached  Gunnar  with  his  treachery  towards 
Sigurd,  and  told  him  how  loyally  the  Volsung  had 
wooed  for  his  friend.  She  confessed  her  love  for 
the  martyred  hero,  and,  scorning  life  without  him, 
sought  death  by  her  own  hand.  In  conformity 
with  her  dying  request,  her  body  was  laid  upon 
his  funeral  pyre,  with  the  drawn  sword  Gram  be- 
tween them,  as  it  had  been  when  he  wooed  her  for 
Gunnar. 

The  Volsunga  Saga  gives  also  details  of  Gud- 
run's  after-life,  and  of  her  direful  revenge  for  the 
murder  of  Sigurd;  but  as  there  is  no  allusion  to 
these  in  Wagner's  Nibelungen  Ring,  it  would  not 
serve  our  purpose  to  consider  them  here. 


320 


INDEX 

¥ 

^gis-helm,  315,  316 

jEneid,  22 

Agamemnon,  rhapsodies  of,  264 

Agnar,  favorite  of  Odin  and  Frigg,  307 ;  protected  by 
Brynhild,  307,  317 

Alberich,  gains,  loses,  and  curses  the  ring,  35,  278— 
281,298;  treasure  of,  35,  36,  278-281,  298;  magic 
cap  of,  71,  72,  278-281;  conquered  by  Siegfried, 
71,  72;  keeper  of  the  Nibelung  treasure,  126;  de- 
livers up  the  hoard,  179;  brother  of  Mime,  286; 
warned  by  Wotan,  288;  father  of  Hagen,  36,  291, 
292 

Alzey,  Volker  of,  79 ;  on  the  Selz,  79  n.  2 ;  its  armo- 
rial insignia,  140  n.  2 

Amelrich,  205,  206 

Amelungs,  land  of  the,  197,  222,  254,  257 

Andvari,  313,  314,  317-319 

Anvil,  55 

Armor,  66,  118,  121,  122  n.  1,  222  n.  1 

Arthur,  22 

Asgard,  300  and  n.  2 

Attila,  18,  187  n.  1,  196  n.  1,  272 

Aurochs,  166 

Austria,  218 

«  321 


INDEX 

Author  of  Lied,  19,  264,  273,  297 
Axe,  of  executioner,  122,  126 
Axe-men,  248 

Balder,  Siegfried  comparable  to,  86,  183;   the  myth 

of,  181  n.  2,  183;   avenged,  190 
Balmung,  69  and  n.  2,  70,  91,  111,  158,  164,  173,  225, 

255,  257;    in  the  hands  of  Chriemhild,  261,  262, 

268 
Bathed,  in  fat,  58  and  n.  1 ;    in  dragon's  blood,  159, 

162 

Bathing,  swan-nymphs,  203 
Bavaria,  194,  203 
Bavarians,  207 

Bear,  captured  alive  by  Siegfried,  166 
Bechelaren,   184,  194,  209,  216,  245,  249,  252-254, 

269,  271 

Beowulf,  72  n.  1 
Bern,  Lord  of,  94  n.  1,  218,  222,  235,  241,  253,  256, 

268 

Bernese,  218,  241,  245,  249,  254,  256,  257,  259 
Betrothal  of  Dietelinde,  215 
Bier,  173,  176,  237 
Birds.     (See  Language  of.) 
Black  Forest,  203 
Bleda,  18,  236  n.  1 
Blodelin,  236  and  n.  1,  237,  238 
Blood,  of  dragon  tempers  Siegfried's  sword,  60 ;  bath 

in  dragon's,  58  n.  1,  159,  162;    Brunhild's  ultima- 

tim,  157 

32* 


INDEX 

Boatman,  203,  205-207 

Bondman,  146  n.  1,  148-150 

Borghild,  311,  312 

Bretonic  legends,  22 

Bride,  131  and  n.  1 

Briton,  268 

Brunhild  (spelling  of  the  Lied),  17;  perceives  Sieg- 
fried's deception  and  demands  his  death,  33,  64,  67, 
68,  et  seq.;  "has  instigated  this  murder,"  173; 
"a  closely-veiled  woman,"  176,  179,  185,  203, 
273 

Briinnhilde  (spelling  adopted  by  Wagner),  daughter 
of  Wotan  and  Erda  in  the  operas,  284,  289,  303; 
daughter  of  Budli  in  the  Saga,  307;  disobeys  and 
is  condemned  to  lasting  sleep,  285;  gave  name  to 
Siegfried  and  rescued  his  sword,  286;  wakened  by 
Siegfried,  288;  receives  ring  as  Siegfried's  parting 
gift,  291 ;  refuses  to  restore  ring  to  the  nymphs 
of  the  Rhine,  292;  captured  as  bride  for  Gunther 
and  loses  the  ring,  292;  recognizing  Siegfried  in 
Gutrun's  husband,  and  on  his  hand  the  ring,  de- 
mands his  death,  293,  308;  claims  the  ring,  and 
restores  it  to  the  Rhine  from  Siegfried's  funeral 
pyre,  294,  295 

Brynhild  (spelling  of  the  Folsunga  Saga),  307,  316- 
320 

Budli,  King,  307,  318 

Burgher  class,  25 

Burgundia,  history  of,  74  n.  1 ;  threats  of  invasion  of, 
88;   queen  of,  130,  141,  et  seq. 
323 


INDEX 

Burgundian,  legends,  17;  kings,  18,  79  and  n.  2,  200; 

knights,  74,  92,  176,  224,  244,  251,  267,  269,  271 
Burgundians,  75,  et  seq. 

Calderon,  26 

Cap.  (See  Helmet,  Hiding  cap,  Magic  cap,  and 
Tarnkappe.) 

Chain  mail,  122  n.  1 

Charcoal-burner,  55-57,  61 

Charlemagne,  20,  64  n.  5,  161  n.  2 

Chase,  163,  165  n.  1 

Child,  Chriemhild,  77;  Giselher,  78;  Siegfried,  51, 
286;  Dankwart,  273 

Chivalry,  24,  38,  63  n.  1,  84  n.  1 

Chriemhild,  17;  loyalty  of,  33,  34;  story  of,  75,  77, 
et  seq.;  her  revenge,  the  impulse  of  her  love,  266- 
268,  269,  291 

Christianity,  effect  of,  on  Germanic  writings,  20,  22, 
32,  36,  37,  264,  271,  272 

Conflagration  watched  by  the  queen,  244 

Contract,  with  the  giants,  279-281 ;   loyalty  to,  34,  35 

Cross,  upon  Siegfried's  garment  to  mark  the  vulner- 
able spot,  162,  171 

Crown,  on  the  helm,  82  n.  1 ;   of  Eugel,  103,  105 

Crusades,  122  n.  1 ;   legends  of,  264 

Curse  of  the  ring,  35,  280,  299,  314 

Curtains  of  silk,  236  n.  2 

Daneland,  the  tributary  prince  of,  227  J   Iring  of,  243 
Danes,  88,  90,  160,  243 

324 


INDEX 

Danish-Norman  legends,  20 

Dankrat,  Chriemhild's  father,  77 

Dankwart,  79,  90,  115,  119,  122,  208,  209,  227,  238- 

241;   character  of,  270;   age  of,  273 
Dante,  26,  190  n.  2 
Danube,  69  n.  1 

Dietelinde,  209-214;   shrinks  from  Hagen,  268 
Dietrich,  17,  196  and  n.  1,  197  and  n.  1,  218-223,  227, 

241,  242,  245,  253,  256-260,  268,  306  n.  1 
Donner  (Thor),  303 

Dowry,  214  n.  1  4 

Dragon,  Siegfried  and  the,   56-60,  65,  72  n.   1 ;    a 

winged,  64,  101,  104,  108-111,  149;    Fafner  takes 

the  form  of,  281,  282,  286-289,  295;    Sigurd  and 

the,  306,  313-316 
Dragon-Rock,  64,  102-109,  115 
Dragon's  blood,  58  n.  1,  60,  159,  162 
Dramas,  Wagner's,  19,  34,  42-48,  277-308 
Dreams,  Chriemhild's,  80,  163,  164,  237 
Dutchman,  Flying,  44 
Dwarf.        (See     Alberich,     Andvari,     Eugel,     and 

Mime.) 
Dwarfs,  origin  of,  72  n.  2,  109-112,  264,  301,  305 

Eckwart,  79,  142,  178 

Eddas,  19,  290,  297-307.    (See  notes  to  pages  59, 101, 

120,  169,  181,  and  191.) 
Else,  207 

Elysian  Fields,  129  n.  1 
Emissaries,  160,  162,  194 

325 


INDEX 

Empire,  New,  28 

Eneit,  22 

Epic,  16,  19-24,  SO,  37;   origin  of  German,  264,  265, 

297 
Erda,  prophesies  the  fall  of  the  gods,  281;    chides 

Wotan,  289;   her  character  and  aliases,  303,  304 
Ermenrich,  187  n.  2,  197  and  n.  2 
Eschenbach.     (See  Wolfram.) 
Etzel,  18,  33,  187,  et  seq.;  compared  with  Attila,  187 

n.  1,  272 
Etzelburg,  188  and  n.  1,  194,  195,  218,  219,  247,  251, 

267 
Eugel,  the  dwarf  king,  103-113 

Fafner  (spelling  of  Wagner),  contracts  to  build  Val- 
halla, 279;  takes  the  form  of  a  dragon,  281,  282, 
286,  289,  300,  304,  305 

Fafnir  (spelling  of  the  Folsunga  Saga),  304,  313- 
316 

Falcon,  80 

Fasolt,  279;  killed  by  his  brother,  281,  304 

Fat,  bath  in,  58  and  n.  1 

Fathom,  123 

Faust,  37 

Fencing,  62 

Ferryman,  102,  114,  206 

Fiddle,  226 

Fiddle  bow,  224 

Fiddler,  140  and  n.  2 

Flying  Dutchman,  44 


INDEX 

Frankish  legends,  17 

Franks,  189 

Freia  (spelling  of  Wagner),  the  reward  for  building 
Valhalla,  279,  280,  300;  guardian  of  the  youth- 
preserving  fruit,  279,  302 ;  sister  of  Froh,  303 

Freya  (spelling  of  the  Lied),  67  and  n.  2,  174  and  n. 
1.  (See  Freia.) 

Fricka,  284,  288,  303;  character  of,  301 

Friedel,  14-9  and  n.  1,  162,  26 1 

Frigg,  182  n.,  302,  303,  307 

Frisian,  legends  and  king,  20 

Froh,  brother  of  Freia,  302  and  n.  1 

Games,  75,  115,  117-119,  122,  124,  137,  148,  196,  232 

and  n.  1 
Garda,  21 

Garden,  80,  82,  98,  101 
Gelfrat,  194,  207 
Gere,  79,  131,  159 
Gerlinde,  32 
German,  derivation  of  name,  193  n.,  264,  274,  296, 

297,  308 

Germanic,  races,  8;   legends  and  literature,  21,  29-39 
Germany,  literary  development  of,  15-28 
Gernot,  17,  75,  77,  90,  178,  180,  181,  184,  194,  210, 

213,227,241,250,  261 

Giant,  126,  212.     (See  Fafner,  Fasolt,  and  Kuperan.) 
Giants,  Siegfried's  conflict  with,  70;    origin  of,  104 

n.  1;  build  Valhalla,  35,  73  n.,  278-281,  284,  300- 

305 

327 


INDEX 

Girdle,  bound  him  hand  and  foot  with,,  136  and  n.  1, 

138,  152,  158 
Giselher,  17,  77  and  n.  2,  130,  139,  158,  184-1 94; 

with  Dietelinde,  210-215,,  220-251;    an  agreeable 

presence,  271 
Giuki,  317,  318 
Gnomes  and  dwarfs,  72  n.  2 
Gods,   subject  to  moral  law,   34,   36,  43;    chief  of, 

51  n.  2;    and  Norns,  100  n.  1;    origin  of,  104  n. 

1;   in  the  Ring,  278-308;    in  Volsunga  Saga,  313, 

314 

Goethe,  26;   his  Faust,  37 
Gold,  70,  73,  278-280,  295;    the  root  of  evil,  298, 

314-316.     (See  Hoard  and  Treasure.) 
Golden  Age,  73  n. 
Gotelinde,  194,  209,  210,  216,  251 
Goths,  189,  309 

Gotterdammerung,  278,  290,  304 
Gottfried  von  Strassburg,  23 
Grail,  23,  38,  39 

Gram,  Sigmund's  sword,  312,  314,  315,  320 
Grane,  Briinnhilde's  steed,  290 
Grani,  Sigurd's  steed,  316 
Greeks,  literature  of,  29-31,  264,  265,  268 
Grimhild  (spelling  of  the  Volsunga  Saga),  317 
Grimhilde  (spelling  of  Wagner),  291 
Gripir,  315 
Gudrun,  Lay  of,  20,  21;    leading  motive  of,  32;    of 

the  Volsunga  Saga,  317-319 
Gunnar  (spelling  of  the  Volsunga  Saga),  317-320 


INDEX 

Gunther,  17,  33,  75,  77,  et  seq.;  death  of,  259;  Ha- 
gen's  tool,  272;  in  Gotterdammerung ,  291-294; 
son  of  Siegfried,  143 

Gutrune,  291-294 

Guttorm,  317,  320 

Hagen,  17,  33-36,  43,  65,75,78  and  notes,  83,  etseq.; 
character  of,  267-271 ;  hero  of  second  part,  272;  in 
Gotterdammerung,  291-295;  his  parentage,  36,  291 

Halfrek,  312 

Hall  of  stone,  244  and  n.  1 

Hammers  of  stone,  92  and  n.  1 

Hanir,  313 

Hans  Sachs,  25,  46 

Hapsburg,  24 

Hartmut,  32 

Hati,  101  n.  1 

Hawart,  18,  227,  273 

Hegel,  26 

Hel,  174  n.,  182  n.,  190  n.  2,  191,  303 

Helche,  18,  187,  189,  192,  195 

Helfrich,  17 

Helgi,  306 

Hell,  Scandinavian,  190  n.  2 

Hellenes,  265,  268.     (See  Greeks.) 

Helmet,  magic,  278,  280,  315.     (See  Tarnkappe.) 

Heralds,  142,  221 

Hero  Book,  Lesser,  21 

Heroes,  groups  of  twelve,  75  n.  1 

Heron  of  oblivion,  1 79 

329 


INDEX 

Herwig,  32 

Hettel,  21 

Hialmgunnar,  317 

Hiding  cap,  121,  137.     (See  Helmet,  Magic  cap.) 

Hildebrand,  17;  song  of,  20,  253  and  n.  1,  254-257, 
260-262 

Hildegunde,  226  n.  1 

Hindar,  316.     (See  Mountain.) 

Hiordys,  second  wife  of  Sigmund,  mother  of  Sigurd, 
307,  312 

Hoard,  36,  69,  72  n.  1,  150,  164,  179;  present  loca- 
tion of,  180  and  n.  1,  202,  220,  236,  259-261,  280, 
299,  304,  305,  314 

Hoder,  182  and  notes,  183,  190,  191 

Hogni,  317 

Hohenstaufen,  24 

Homer,  26,  264,  297 

Horant,  21 

Horny  coat,  58,  59 

Hostages  of  Etzel,  189,  226  and  n.  1,  228 

Hreidmar,  the  slaying  of  son  of,  not  imposing  enough 
for  Wagner's  purpose,  301 ;  father  of  Reigin,  Faf- 
nir,  and  Otur,  313 

Hrotti,  316 

Hugdietrich,  21 

Hunding,  282-284;    and  Siggeir,  306 

Hunnish.     (See  Huns.) 

Hunolt,  79,  90,  93 

Huns,  18,  34,  187,  et  seq. 

Hunt,  162,  165-167 

330 


INDEX 

Icelandic  legends,  297.     (See  Eddas.) 

Iduna,  302 

Iliad,  20,  264,  297 

Industry  of  women,  161  n.  2 

Invisible  cap,  138.     (See  Hiding  cap.) 

Iring,  18,  227,  243 

Irmin,  192  n.  1 

Irnfried,  18,  227  and  n.,  243 

Isenland,  64,  66,  114;   location  of,  116  and  n.  I,  118, 

119,  124,  127,  137,  146,  156,  158 
Isenstein,  117  and  n.  1,  125,  149 
Isis,  116  n.  1 
Isolde.     (See  Tristan.) 

Jordh,  303 

Joseph  of  Arimathea,  38 

Jotunheim,  73  n. 

Judgment  of  Heaven,  177  n. 

Kant,  26 

King,  of  the  Grail,  39 ;  meaning  and  use  of  the  word, 
77  n.  2.  (See  Attila,  Budli,  Etzel,  Eugel,  Gernot, 
Giselher,  Giuki,  Gunther,  Halfrek,  Hartmut,  Het- 
tel,  Horant,  Lingvi,  Liidegast,  Liideger,  Nibeling, 
Nibelung,  Rerir,  Schilbung,  Siegfried,  Siegmund, 
Siggeir,  Sigi,  Volsung.) 

Klage,  Die,  273 

Klopstock,  26 

Knighthood,  robber,  24 ;  conferring  of,  63  n.  1 


INDEX 

Knights,  as  epic  and  lyric  poets  of  the  Grail,  38,  64, 
75,  77,  et  seq.;  tyrannical  to  women,  154  n.  1 ;  cos- 
tume of,  161  n.  1 

Kronid,  268  and  n.  1 

Kuperan,  104-109 

Language  of  birds,  169  n.  1,  288,  295,  316 

Latin  literature  compared  with  Teutonic,  46,  47 

Lay  of  Gudrun,  20,  21,  32 

Lay  of  Siegfried,  65  n. 

Legends,  1 5 ;   groups  of,  1 7-22,  264,  296,  et  seq. 

Lessing,  26 

Linden  leaf,  58  and  n.,  159 

Lingvi,  307,  312 

Literary  periods,  16 

Literature,  German,  15-39;  decline  and  revival  of, 
24-26;  mediaeval  compared  with  the  Greek,  29-32, 
264,  265,  268;  moral  and  religious  character  of, 
29-39 ;  transformed  by  Wagner,  40-48 ;  compared 
with  the  Latin,  46,  47. 

Loge  (Wagner's  spelling),  35;  gods  devoured  by,  36; 
advises  the  giants  to  demand  Freia,  279,  300;  re- 
sumes form  of  flame  and  encompasses  Briinnhilde's 
mountain,  285,  286;  his  character  and  appearance, 
302 

Lohengrin,  45 

Loki,  enemy  of  Balder,  182  notes;  kills  Otur  and 
captures  the  wealth  of  Andvari,  313,  314.  (See 
Loge.) 

Lombardian  legends,  21 


INDEX 

Lorsch,  180  n.  1 

Louis  the  Pious,  20 

Lower  Rhine,  17,  142 

Loyalty  in  Germanic  works,  31—37 

Liidegast,  88,  91,  94,  169 

Liideger,  88,  92,  94,  169 

Magic,  55  n.,  70,  71,  125,  139  n.,  278,  280 

Magic  cap,  71    and  n.,  72,   104-107.      (See   Hiding 

cap.) 

Maids,  141,211  n. 
Margrave  of  Bechelaren,  18;  character  of,  269-     (See 

Riidiger.) 

Margravine,  210,  215,  252 

Marriage,  134  n.,  146  n.,  214  n.     (See  Wedding.) 
Master,  54,  60,  253  n.     (See  Hildebrand.) 
Mead,  228  and  n. 
Mediaeval,  literature,  15-41;    costume,  82  n.,  136  n.; 

customs,  84  n.,  211  n.,  214  n.,  222  n. 
Meistersingers,  25,  30,  45,  46 
Mermaid,  217 
Metz,  Ortewin  of,  75,  79 
Middle  Ages,  16,  19,  29,  88  n.,  120  n.  1,  154  n.,  161 

n.  2,  230  n.,  236  n.  2 
Midgard,  100  n.,  300  n.  2 
Migration  of  the  nations,  18,  20,  269 
Mime  (Wagner's  spelling),  278,  286-289,  305 
Mimer  (spelling  of  the  Lied},  52  and  n.  1,  54  n.,  55- 

57 
Mimir,  306 

333 


INDEX 

Minstrels,  69,  80;  the  profession  of,  112  n.  1,  117, 
139;  as  emissaries,  200  and  n.  1,  201,  240.  (See 
Swemmelin,  Volker,  and  Worbelin.) 

Monumenta  Germanise  Historica,  27 

Mountain,  285,  286,  289,  316 

Munich,  120  n.  1 

Music,  Wagner's,  46,  48,  156 

Mythology,  German,  19,  34,  52  n.,  72  n.  2,  104  n., 
116  n.,  169  n.,  290,  296 

Myths.     (See  Legends.) 

Nanna,  wife  of  Balder,  183  and  n.  1 

Netherland,  or  Netherlands,  58,  178,  188,  245;   hero 

or  king  of,  see  Siegfried. 
Netherlander,  85 
New  German  empire,  28 

Nibeling,  father  of  Schilbung  and  Nibelung,  69 
Nibelung,  hero  or  king,   see   Siegfried;    hoard,   see 

Hoard  and  Treasure;   land,  69  and  n.  1,  126,  188; 

myth,  34,  296,  et  seq. 
Nibelung,  King,  69  and  n.  2 
Nibelung,  the.     (See  Alberich.) 
Nibelungen  Lied,  19-21,  33,  78  n.  2;    prose  version 

of,  51-263;    retrospect  of,  264-274;    as  source  of 

Wagner's  material,  277,  295-297,  305,  308 
Nibelungen  Not,  Der,  136  and  n.  1,  273 
Nibelungen  Ring.     (See  Ring,  drama  of.) 
Nibelungen  strophe,  30,  97  n. 
Nibelungs,  64,  69-72,  75,  83,  et  seq.;    186  n.,  202, 

et  seq. 

334 


INDEX 

Nineveh,  silk  of,  152 

Nix  of  the  river,  consulted  by  Hagen,  231  n. 

Noras,  73  n. ;   their  names,  habits,  etc.,  100  and  n.  1, 

140,  178,  207;    their  opening  song  in  the  Gotter- 

dammerung,  290,  304 

Norse,  51  n.  2,  72  n.  1,  179,  268,  273,  290,  301,  308 
North  Sea,  21 

Not,  Der  Nibelungen,  186  and  n.,  273 
Nothung,  286,  288 
Nudung,  215 

Nuptials,  124,  133.     (See  Marriage.) 
Nymphs,  204  and  n.  1,  278,  292,  295,  298 


Oath,  with  the  ring,  153  and  n.  1 

Oberon,  equivalent  of  Alberich,  73  n. 

Oden  Forest,  102  and  n. 

Odin,  equivalent  of  Wotan,  51  n.  2,  301;  father  of 
the  valkyrs,  67  n.  2,  120  n.  2,  308;  and  Irmin,  73 
n. ;  wakes  the  goddess  Hel,  304;  his  ring  Draup- 
nir,  305;  ancestor  of  Siegfried,  305;  in  Volsunga 
Saga,  307,  309,  313,  314,  317,  318;  and  Agnar,  307 

Odysseus,  264 

Odyssey,  20 

Of  en,  18 

One-eyed,  78  and  n.  2,  304,  312 

Ortewin,  75,  79,  84,  90,  94,  131,  158 

Ortlieb,  son  of  Attila  and  Chriemhild,  198,  200,  233, 
238;  slain  by  Hagen,  234,  240,  267 

Ortnit,  21 

335 


INDEX 

Ostro-Gothic  legends,  17 
Otur,  313 

Parsifal,  a  Bretonic  legend,  22;    Eschenbach's  most 

noteworthy   poem,   23;    a   psychological   epic,   37; 

outline  of  poem,  37-39 ;  •  Wagner's,  a  mystery  play, 

42 

Pochlarn,  184-  n. 
Poems,  Charlemagne's  collection  of,  20;   verse  of  epic 

and  lyric,  30.     (See  Poetry.) 
Poetry,  sacred,  16,  17;    mediaeval  and  chivalric,  23- 

25;     Grecian    compared    with    Germanic,    29-32; 

pagan,  32;   classic,  40.     (See  Epic.) 
Poets,  of  the  Reformation,  25 ;    Greek  compared  with 

German,  29-32,  264;   of  the  Lied,  272-274.     (See 

Epic.) 
Pyre,  Siegfried's,  294,  300;   Sigurd's,  320 

Quarrel  of  the  queens,  149-155;  not  found  in  Wag- 
ner, 308 

Queens.  (See  Brunhild,  Chriemhild,  Sieglinde,  and 
Ute.) 

Rainbow  bridge,  100  n.  1 

Reformation,  poets  of  the,  25 

Reigin,  305;   induces  Sigurd  to  kill  Fafnir,  313-315; 

is  slain,  316 

Rerir,  grandson  of  Odin,  309 
Rhapsodists  of  Hellenes,  264 
Rheingold,  278-287 

336 


INDEX 

Rhine,  17;  in  the  Lied,  64,  74,  85,  93,  102,  113,  116, 
et  seq.;  in  Wagner's  drama,  278,  291-300;  in  Vol- 
sunga  Saga,  317 

Rienzi,  the  opera,  44 

Ring,  35,  36,  87;  "  Knowest  thou  this  little  gold 
ring?"  151  and  n.  1,  152;  standing  by  the  ring,  he 
raised  his  hand  to  swear,  153  and  n.  1,  158;  in 
Wagner's  drama,  277-281,  284,  288-295,  299,  300; 
in  Volsunga  Saga,  300,  314-319 

Ring  (Nibelungen),  drama  of,  19,  34-36,  42;  argu- 
ment and  sources  of,  277—308,  320;  compared  with 
the  Lied,  277,  295-297 

Rings,  73,  122  and  n.  1;  gleam  more  harmless,  181 
and  n.  1 

Rome,  the  imperial  crown  of,  235 

Rosengarten,  65  n.,  75  n.  1 

Rother,  21 

Rudiger,  18,  184,  188-194;  historic,  184  n.  1;  re- 
semblance to  Robin  Hood,  184  n.  1,  208-220,  227, 
242,  et  seq.;  friendship  of,  towards  Hagen,  268; 
character  of,  269 

Rumolt,  79,  90 

Runes,  304 

Russians,  189 

Sachs,  Hans,  25,  46 
Sagas,  296,  et  seq. 
Santen.     (See  Xanten.) 
Saxon,  or  Saxons,  88-93,  192  n. 
Scandinavian  legends,  296,  et  seq. 
337 


INDEX 

Scheldt,  Il6n.  1 

Schelling,  26 

Schilbung,  69 

Schiller,  26;   quoted,  33,  43 

Scotland,  176  n. 

Scott,  177  n. 

Seyfrid,  vom  Hiirnen,  306 

Shakespeare,  26,  122  n.,  177  n.,  277 

Shaking  hands,  84  n. 

Siegfried,  hero  of  Prankish  legends,  17;  mythologi- 
cal, 19,  33;  significance  of,  42,  43;  youth  of,  51- 
76;  bath  of,  58  and  n.  1 ;  person  of,  62  and  n.  1 ; 
memorials  at  Worms,  64  n.  5;  first  visit  to  Isen- 
stein,  67,  68;  becomes  king  of  the  Nibelungs,  69— 
73;  visits  Burgundians,  82-99;  rescues  Chriem- 
hild,  100-114;  conquers  Brunhild,  and  takes 
Chriemhild  home  as  his  wife,  115-142;  namesake 
of,  143;  accepts  invitation  to  Worms,  145;  falls 
victim  of  jealous  treachery,  146-177;  tomb  of,  178, 
179,  189,  203,  262;  in  the  Not,  191-203,  218-222, 
225,  235-238,  245,  262;  character  of,  265-267, 
305;  in  Wagner's  drama,  286-294;  ancestry  of, 
305;  the  opera  of,  58  n.  1,  278,  304;  argument  of 
opera,  286-290;  Der  Hornerne,  58  n.  1 

Sieglinde,  Queen,  51-76,  142,  143;  in  Wagner's 
drama,  140-144,  305 

Siegmund  (in  the  Lied),  51  and  n.  1,  60-66,  75,  142, 
145,  174,  178,  179;  (in  the  Ring),  282-286,  305 

Sigestab,  17 

Siggeir,  306,  309,  310 


INDEX 

Sigi,  309 

Sigmund  (spelling  of  Volsunga  Saga),  309-312 

Signi,  305,  309-311 

Sigurd  (the  Siegfried  of  the  Volsunga  Saga),  57  n.  1, 
152  n.,  306;  son  of  Hiordys  and  Sigmund,  312; 
slays  Fafnir  and  Reigin,  313-316;  betroths  Bryn- 
hild,  317;  wins  Brynhild  for  Gunnar,  318;  is  slain, 
319,  320 

Sindolt,  79,  90,  93,  159 

Sinfiotli,  son  of  Sigmund  and  Signi,  306,  311,  312 

Skoll,  the  wolf,  101  and  n.  1 

Skuld,  100  n. 

Sleeping  Beauty,  19 

Smith,  importance  of  the  calling,  52  and  n.  1.  (See 
Mime,  Mimer,  Mimir,  and  Wieland.) 

Solstice,  the  celebration  of,  144-  n.  1,  147,  201,  228, 
231  and  n. 

Spain,  Walter  of,  226  and  n.  1 

Spessart  Forest,  163,  168  n. 

Spooks,  56 

Spring  (of  water),  where  Siegfried  was  killed,  167 
and  n.  2,  169-171;  where  Hagen  saw  the  swan- 
nymphs,  203;  of  the  Norns,  100  n.,  304 

Springtime,  Siegfried  the  god  of,  19,  42 

Steeds.     (See  Grane  and  Grani.) 

Strength,  trials  of,  120  n.  1 

Strophe,  Nibelungen,  30,  97  n. 

Summer,  in  mythology,  19;  solstice,  144  and  n.  1,  147, 
201,  228,  231 

Sun-god,  19 

339 


INDEX 

Supernatural,  almost  banished  from  the  Lied,  295 
Swan,  garments,  68  n.,  204  and  n.  1 ;  nymphs,  204 
Swemmelin,  196,  200 

Tacitus,  in  his  Germania,  32,  63  n.  1 

Tannhauser,  44 

Tarnkappe,  signification  and  powers  of,  71   n.,  280, 

288,  292,  293,  305.     (See  Helmet  and  Magic  cap.) 
Temple,  of  the  Grail,  38,  39;    at  Worms,  148,  150, 

173,  175,  177;   of  the  Huns,  230  and  n. 
Tetralogy,  277 
Teutonic,  mythology,  36,  104  n.,  169  n.;   peoples,  47, 

274,  296 
Teutons,  51  n.  2 
Theodoric,  17,  18,  196  n.  1 
Thidreks  Saga,  57  n.,  306  n. 
Thor,  51  n.  2,  192  n.  1,  303 
Thuringian,  227,  243 
Thursday,  for  Thor's  day,  52  n. 
Tilting,  85,  86,  148,  195 
Tournament,  63,  65  n.,  85,  88  n.,  148,  195,  231;  laws 

governing,  232  n.,  236 
Treasure,  in  the  Lied,  70,  72  and  n.  1,  73,  112,  113, 

180,  261;   in  the  Ring,  35,  279,  280,  298;   in  Vol- 

sunga  Saga,  315,  31 6.     (See  Hoard.) 
Tree  of  life,  304 
Trilogy,  278,  286 
Tristan  and  Isolde,  23,  45 
Trombones,  141 
Tronjan.    (See  Hagen.) 

34<> 


INDEX 

Tronje,  78  n.  1,  267 
Twelve,  groups  of,  75  n.  1 
Twilight  of  the  gods,  34,  278,  290 
Tyrol,  21 

Urd,  100  n. 

Urdar,  100  n. 

Ute,   17;    pronunciation  of  the  name,   77  n.   1,   80, 

et  seq.,  191,  201,  203,  237 
Utgard,  300  n.  2 

Valhalla,  67  n.  2,  147  n.  1,  174  n.  1,  279,  284,  288, 

290,  292,  295,  300,  301 
Valkyr,  or  Valkyrs,  19,  67  n.  2,  147  and  n.,  278,  284, 

286,  291,  292,  308 
Vassal,  146,  149,  150 
Verdandi,  100  n. 
Verona,  17,  196  n.  1 

Versification  in  German  mediaeval  literature,  30 
Viol,  140  n.  2,  216,  217 
Volker,  character  of,  134 
Volsung,  or  Volsungs,  30,  51  and  n.  1,  282,  305,  309- 

311,  317,  320 
Volsunga   Saga,   relation   to   the  Eddas,   297;    as    a 

source  of  Wagner's  material,  297-308;    origin  and 

outline  of,  309-320 
Von  der  Aue,  22 
Von  der  Vogelweide,  24 
Von  Eschenbach.     (See  Wolfram.) 
Von  Gravenberg,  23 


INDEX 


Von  Strassburg,  23 
Von  Veldeke,  22 


Waberlohe,  19 

Wagner,  Richard,  19,  34;  qualifications  of,  40-42; 
works  of,  42—46;  the  music-poet  of  woman's  emo- 
tional life,  44,  45 ;  champion  of  German  literature, 
47;  sources  of  his  material  for  the  Ring,  277,  295- 
308,  320 

Wala,  304 

Walhalla.     (See  Valhalla.) 

Wali,  182  n.  1,  190 

Walkiire,  the  opera,  278;  designation  of  name,  281; 
argument  of,  281-286 

Walkyr.     (See  Valkyr.) 

Walse,  51  n.  1,  282,  305.     (See  Volsung.) 

Walsung,  284,  289-     (See  Volsung.) 

Walter  of  Spain,  226  and  n.  1 

Waltharius,  78  n.  2,  226  n.  1 

War,  Thirty  Years',  25 

Wate,  21 

Wedding,  the  double,  134  and  n  1 ;  of  Chriemhild  and 
Etzel,  195.  (See  Marriage.) 

Wednesday,  for  Woden's  day,  52  n. 

Wieland,  the  poet,  26;  the  smith,  54  and  n.  1,  187  n.  2 

Wierd,  derived  from  Wurdh,  101  n. 

Wilkina  Saga,  78  n.  2 

Wilkinen,  1 89  and  n.  1 

Wittich,  187  n.  2,  215 

Wolf,  or  wolves,  101  n.  1 

342 


INDEX 

Wolf  brand,  16 

Wolfdietrich,  21 

Wolf  hart,  17,  227,  241,  254,  271 

Wolflings,  16 

Wolfram  von  Eschenbach,  23,  37,  38 

Wolf  win,  17 

Woman,  theme  of  dramas,  44,  45;  subjection  of,  154 
n.  1 ;  industry  of,  161  n.  2,  211  n.  1 

Worbelin,  196,  200,  240,  267 

Worms,  17,  64,  n.  5,  74,  87,  88,  114,  130,  145,  180  n. 
1,  184,  201,  214,  262 

Wotan,  the  chief  god,  19,  35,  51  n.  2;  in  the  Ring,  35, 
279-308;  ancestor  of  Siegfried,  51,  282;  pronun- 
ciation and  forms  of  name,  51  n.  2;  father  of  the 
Valkyrs,  67  n.  2;  corresponds  with  Odin,  51  n.  2, 
301 ;  gave  one  of  his  eyes  for  a  draft  from  the 
spring  of  wisdom^,  304 

Wounds  of  corpse  bleed,  176  n. 

Wurdh,  100  n. 

Xanten,  17,  142  n. 

Ygdrasil,  100  n.,  300  n.  2 
Ymir,  104  n. 

Zeus,  268  n. 

THE    END 


343 


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Cloth,  gilt  top,  $2.00;  half  levant,  $4.50. 

SYMPHONIES  AND  THEIR  MEANING. 

By  PHILIP  H.  GOEPP.  Volume  I.— Decorated  cloth,  $2.00, 
net.  Volume  II.  — Decorated  cloth,  $2. oo,  net.  Two  volumes 
in  a  box,  $4.00,  net.  Postage,  13  cents  extra  per  volume. 


J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,   PHILADELPHIA. 


By  DR.  THEODORE  F.  WOLFE. 

Literary  Rambles  at 
Home  and  Abroad. 

Treating  of  most  important  English  and  American 
authors  not  covered  in  Dr.  Wolfe's  previous  books. 
Each  volume  is  complete  in  itself,  but  all  are  uniform  in 
size  and  binding  and  make  a  most  attractive  set. 

"  His  books  are  an  anthology  of  literary  visions  and  memories  and 
associations  which  it  is  a  delight  to  read  and  a  joy  to  cherish." — 
Herald,  Boston. 

"  Seldom,  if  ever  before,  has  a  book  been  written  containing  so 
much  in  so  small  compass  as  is  the  case  in  «*  Literary  Rambles 
at  Home  and  Abroad."  This  volume  is  one  of  a  series  of  four, 
uniform  in  binding,  by  the  same  author.  ...  A  remarkable 
feature  is  its  up-to-dateness  and  the  large  nnmber  of  authors  men- 
tioned. ' ' —  Times-Herald,  Chicago. 

"The  four  volumes  recording  Dr.  Wolfe's  rambles  among  the 
places  made  famous  by  literary  men  at  home  and  abroad  come  either 
singly  or  in  sets,  and,  with  appropriate  binding  and  illustration,  form 
the  nucleus  of  a  library  of  reminiscence  and  entertainment. 

"The  volumes  treating  of  our  native  authors  and  the  homes  into 
which  they  are  fitted  are  of  special  interest.  Pleasant  gossip,  anecdote 
and  firsthand  facts  are  skilfully  combined  to  rouse  interest  and 
appreciation  of  American  authors." — Public  Ledger,  Philadelphia. 

Illustrated  with  photogravures.    Buckram, 
$1.25 ;     half  calf  or  half  morocco,  $3.00. 


Dr.  Wolfe's  Previous  Volumes : 
Literary  Shrines.  Literary  Haunts  and  Homes 

A  Literary  Pilgrimage.  of  American  Authors. 


J.   B.   LIPPINCOTT   COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA. 


Stories  of  Authors'  Loves 


By  CLARA  £.   LAUGHLIN. 

THE  ROMANCES  OF  THE  MEN  AND  WOMEN 
WHOSE  BOOKS  WE  LOVE.  THERE  IS  NOTH- 
ING MORE  FASCINATING  IN  THE  PLOTS 
THEY  WOVE  THAN  THESE  CHAPTERS  FROM 
THEIR  OWN  LIVES. 


Miss  Laughlin  has  done  a  real  service.  She  has 
read  biographies,  papers,  diaries,  and  correspondence. 
From  these  she  has  drawn  the  material — the  anecdotes, 
episodes,  personal  reflections,  and  love-letters,  which 
make  of  her  literary  romances  a  fresh  and  thoroughly 
human  chapter  in  the  lives  of  men  and  women  whose 
books  are  almost  our  daily  companions.  She  shows 
us  how  large  a  part  is  played  by  the  heart  in  the  inspi- 
ration, ambition,  and  work  of  our  authors.  We  feel 
a  new  friendship  for  those  who  figure  in  them. 


Illustrated  with   photogravure   frontispieces  and  forty-three 

duogravures.     Two  volumes  in  a  box.     Cloth,  $3.00, 

net  f   three-quarters  morocco,  $6.00,  net. 

Postage,  20  cents  extra. 


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STANDARD  WORKS  ON  COLONIAL 
SUBJECTS 


By  ANNE   HOLLINGSWORTH   WHARTON. 
Salons  Colonial  and         Heirlooms  in  Miniatures. 

Republican.  With  a  chapter  on  Miniature 
With  frontispiece  in  colors,  and  Painting  by  Emily  Drayton  Tay- 
numerous  reproductions  of  por-  lor.  With  frontispiece  in  colors, 
traits  of  miniatures  of  men  and  and  over  ninety  finely  executed  re- 
women  prominent  in  Colonial  productions  of  the  best  examples 
life  and  in  the  early  days  of  the  of  Colonial  and  Nineteenth  Cen- 
Republic.  Crushed  buckram,  tury  miniature  painters.  Buckram, 
gilt  top,  deckle  edges,  $3.00;  gilt  top,  deckle  edges,  $3.00; 
three-quarters  levant,  $6.00.  three-quarters  levant,  $6.00. 

Salons  Colonial  and  Republican. 
Heirlooms  in  Miniatures. 

The  two  volumes  in  a  box.     Crushed  buckram,  $6.00 ;  half  levant, 
$12.00. 

Through  Colonial  Doorways. 
Colonial  Days  and  Dames. 

Two  volumes  in  a  box.     Cloth,  gilt  top,  $2.50  ;  half  morocco,  J$6.oo ; 
half  calf,  #7.00.     Also  sold  separately. 

By  SYDNEY   GEORGE   FISHER. 
Men,  Women,  and  Manners  in  Colonial  Times. 

Illustrated.     Two  volumes  in  a  box.     Satine,  $3.00 ;    half  calf  or 
half  morocco,  $6.00. 

The  Making  of  Pennsyl-       The  Evolution  of  the 
vania.  Constitution. 

iamo.     Cloth,  $1.50.  I2mo.     Cloth,  $i  50. 


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FAMOUS  AMERICAN   BELLES  OF 
THE  NINETEENTH   CENTURY 

By  VIRGINIA  TATNALL  PEACOCK. 

With  special  cover  design,  frontispiece  in  colors,  and  twenty- 
three  full-page  illustrations.     8vo.     Cloth,  $3.00. 


"  Each  character  is  distinctly  American,  and  each  essay  is  a  loving 
tribute  to  the  national  characteristics  of  the  author's  countrywomen. 
Each  contains,  too,  an  intelligent  study  of  the  times  and  moving 
events  in  which  these  nineteenth  century  belles  were  the  central 
figures." — Dispatch,  St.  Paul. 

"The  author  of  the  book  has  furnished  us  with  matter  for  highly 
interesting  reading.  She  has,  furthermore,  sketched  the  life  and 
manners  of  American  society  for  the  past  century  with  a  fine  skill  and 
delicate  sense  of  proportion.  She  has  shown  us  the  remarkable  power 
that  abides  in  beauty  of  mind  and  person  when  such  power  proceeds 
from  a  woman.  She  has  enabled  us,  if  we  will  but  look,  to  see  many 
a  moral  in  the  pathos  or  happiness  in  the  study  of  such  lives.  But 
above  and  beyond  all,  she  has  paid  a  delicate  and  lasting  compliment 
to  that  ideal  which  has  blossomed  so  fairly  on  a  jaded  world — the 
ideal  of  American  womanhood." — Commercial  Advertiser. 

"Mrs.  Peacock  has  taken  much  care  to  repeat  not  traditions  but 
facts  about  these  women  who  swayed  their  little  worlds  by  their  beauty 
and  their  wit." — The  Interior,  Chicago. 

"It  is  an  interesting  and  valuable  volume,  however  regarded,  and 
the  illustrations  are  an  important  adjunct  to  the  text." — North  Ameri- 
can, Philadelphia. 

"The  book  is  daintily  bound,  and  contains  a  colored  frontispiece, 
together  with  twenty  full -page  illustrations,  including  many  portraits. 
On  the  whole  it  is  a  book  calculated  to  be  of  rare  interest  to  any  one 
studying  the  social  history  of  America  in  the  nineteenth  century." — 
New  York  Times  Saturday  Review. 


J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,  PHILADELPHIA 


THE  "TRUE"  BIOGRAPHIES 


THE   TRUE   GEORGE  WASHINGTON. 

By  PAUL  LEICESTER  FORD. 

With  twenty-four  full-page  illustrations.  Crown  octavo. 
Cloth,  $2.00 ;  half  levant,  $5.00. 

THE   TRUE    BENJAMIN    FRANKLIN. 

By  SYDNEY   GEORGE  FISHER. 

With  numerous  illustrations.  Crown  octavo.  Cloth,  $2.00; 
half  levant,  $5.00. 

THE   TRUE   WILLIAM   PENN. 

By  SYDNEY  GEORGE  FISHER. 

With  numerous  hitherto  unpublished  illustrations,  portraits, 
and  fac-similes.  Crown  octavo.  Cloth,  $2.00;  half  levant, 
$5.00. 

THE   TRUE   THOMAS   JEFFERSON. 

By  WILLIAM  ELEROY   CURTIS. 

With  numerous  illustrations.  Crowr  8vo.  Cloth,  $2.00, 
net ;  half  levant,  $5.00,  net.  Postage  13  cents  extra. 

"  The  house  of  Lippincott  started  the  *  true  portrait'  order  of 
biography,  in  contradistinction  to  the  garbled  eulogy  style  of  hero- 
chronicling,  with  Paul  Leicester  Ford's  'True  George  Washington.' 
The  next  season,  Mr.  Sydney  George  Fisher,  favorably  known  as  a 
writer  on  colonial  history  and  on  the  making  of  Pennsylvania,  was 
brought  forward  as  the  biographer  of  'The  True  Benjamin  Franklin.' 
Then  '  The  True  William  Penn'  from  the  same  source,  and  certainly 
Mr.  Fisher  was  well  equipped  far  this  task." — The  Interior ,  Chicago. 


J.    B.  LIPPINCOTT   COMPANY,   PHILADELPHIA 


Chambers's  Cyclopaedia 
of  English  Literature. 

Edited  by  DAVID  PATRICK 

A  history,  critical  and  biographical,  of  authors  in  the 
English  tongue,  from  the  earliest  times  till  the  present 
day,  with  specimens  of  their  writings.  American 
literature  is  treated  by  competent  pens,  and  the  work, 
which  has  been  pronounced  by  scholars  the  best  in  its 
field,  in  its  present  form  is  very  largely  improved,  both 
in  its  arrangement  and  its  comprehensive  and  exact 
character.  The  illustrations  are  carefully  selected  fac- 
similes and  over  three  hundred  portraits  executed 
expressly  for  the  work.  The  editors  include :  DR. 
STOPFORD  BROOKE,  MR.  AUSTIN  DOBSON,  MR.  EDMUND 
GOSSE,  MR.  ANDREW  LANG,  MR.  SYDNEY  LEE,  and 
PROFESSOR  SAINTSBURY. 

"Valuable  alike  in  the  public  and  private  library." — Public 
Ledger,  Philadelphia. 

"The  new  edition  of  <  Chambers' s  Cyclopaedia  of  English 
Literature'  might  more  properly  be  called  a  *  History  of  English 
Literature.'  In  fact,  it  is  nearer  a  history  than  are  many  of  the 
recent  so-called  literary  histories  which  have  lately  come  under  our 
notice.  .  .  .  Not  only  does  it  possess  all  the  technical  advantages 
of  the  earlier  editions  confirmed,  modified,  or  excluded  in  the  light  of 
the  most  recent  and  authorative  scholarship,  but  at  proper  intervals 
among  the  lives  of  the  authors  and  specimens  of  their  work  we  have 
articles  expository  and  critical  of  the  literary  tendencies  of  the  day  and 
of  the  political  and  social  conditions  which  inspired  these  tendencies." 
— New  York  Times  Saturday  Revieiv  of  Books. 

Illustrated.     Three    Volumes.    Imperial  octavo. 

800  pages.     Cloth,  per  volume,  net,  $5.00. 

Carriage   extra. 


J.   B.   LIPPINCOTT  COMPANY,   PHILADELPHIA. 


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